Republican Senators Call for Immediate Travel Ban as Chinese Respiratory Illness Surges

Five Republican senators, led by Marco Rubio, have urged President Joe Biden's administration to implement a travel ban between the United States and China following a surge in cases of Chinese respiratory illness. The senators believe that travel restrictions should be immediately enforced until more is known about the dangers posed by this new illness. The call for travel restrictions comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) requested more information from China regarding clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children, as reported by the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases.

The rising number of cases has become a global concern, prompting concerns about the potential spread of the illness. Neither the White House nor the Chinese Embassy in Washington have provided an immediate response to the senators' request for travel restrictions. Maria Van Kerkhove, the acting director of the WHO's department of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, suggested earlier this week that the increase in cases may be attributed to a rise in the number of children contracting pathogens that they had previously avoided due to COVID-19 restrictions.

In recent months, there has been a gradual increase in flights between the United States and China, although they still remain well below the levels seen in 2019. On November 9, the number of weekly flights between the two countries rose to 35 each, a significant increase from the 12 per week recorded in August. It is important to note that in January 2020, former President Donald Trump restricted the entry of most non-U.S. citizens who had been in China within the past two weeks, citing concerns about COVID-19. However, he did not impose any restrictions on flights between the two countries.

In November 2021, the United States lifted the unprecedented travel restrictions for fully vaccinated international visitors, including those from China. Additionally, the requirement for air travelers to test negative for COVID-19 before arrival was rescinded in June 2022. Furthermore, the United States introduced a policy in January that necessitated air passengers to undergo negative COVID-19 tests after Beijing lifted its stringent zero-COVID policies. However, this requirement was lifted in March. As concerns surrounding the Chinese respiratory illness continue to escalate, the senators' request for travel restrictions aims to mitigate further spread until more information about the illness and its risks becomes available. The decision lies in the hands of President Biden's administration, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.