US travel ban might not be lifted until 2021
US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin has cast doubt on the US lifting international travel restrictions affecting the UK, the rest of Europe and Asia later this year.
In a Fox Business Network interview, Mnuchin said it was ‘too hard to tell’ if international travel would resume this year, adding: "I hope down the road it is…our priority is opening up the domestic economy."
Americans should focus on domestic travel as the country starts returning to normal, he said.
A US State Department advisory is still in effect asking all Americans to avoid all international travel.
"For businesspeople that need to travel, there will be travel on a limited basis," Mnuchin added.
He encouraged people to travel closer to home, adding: "This is a great time for people to explore America. A lot of people haven’t seen many parts of America.
"We want people to travel safely. Our priority is opening the domestic economy."
As the threat of the coronavirus pandemic emerged in late January, President Donald Trump banned foreign nationals from entering the US if they had recently travelled to China and imposed similar restrictions on European countries in March.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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