US: CDC mulls easing curbs on EU, Brazil travel as Covid tests begin

The CDC is weighing new measures that could allow for expanded travel after unveiling Covid-19 testing requirements for people flying into the US, said Martin Cetron, director of the agency’s division of global migration and quarantine. Lifting travel restrictions on countries such as Brazil and European Union nations is part of ongoing discussions, Cetron said in an interview Wednesday. Whether to make allowances in the future for people who have been vaccinated is also under debate, he said. “Protecting the global public’s health while minimizing the interference to travel and trade is essentially our goal,” he said. “This testing order is really a recognition and another step in that direction.” The agency’s discussions are taking place as it works to implement the new rules, which take effect Jan. 26 -- after President-elect Joe Biden takes office. The European and Brazilian travel bans were enacted last year when the pandemic was just emerging, and they haven’t changed much since then, Cetron said. While the priority is promoting public health, the CDC is also mindful of the economic damage from broad travel bans, he said.<br/>