US to maintain travel restrictions due to Delta variant

The US will keep existing travel restrictions from entering the country due to the surging cases of Covid-19 Delta variant, the White House said on Monday.

Driven by the rising Delta variant cases here at home, particularly among those who are unvaccinated, "we will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at a daily briefing, Xinhua news agency reported.

The federal administration has been under pressure from the travel industry and allies to lift these restrictions.

The US currently bars entry for most non-citizens who within the last 14 days have been in Britain, the European Schengen area, Ireland, China, Iran, South Africa, Brazil, and India. It also keeps non-essential travel restrictions across its borders with Canada and Mexico.

Last week, the US State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning against travelling to Britain due to the country's high level of Covid-19 cases.