NEWS: White House Considering Travel Restrictions Florida Due to COVID-19 Variant

As new variants of COVID-19 continue to appear across the nation, the White House is considering new domestic travel restrictions for multiple states to mitigate the spread.

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According to Miami Herald, these restrictions could specifically target several states in the U.S., including Florida, where one particular variant has been surging in recent weeks.

The considerations for new travel restrictions seem to be based in part on the U.K. variant of the virus, known as B.1.1.7. The state of Florida, where over a third of all new US cases are being identified, has recently seen a surge of this particular variant.

New domestic travel restrictions are being considered

While the B.1.1.7 variant currently represents 1-4% of all new cases nationwide, the Miami Herald notes that “its presence is lopsided in certain areas,” with concentrations of the variant in Florida and California. In total, 34 states have reported cases of B.1.1.7. According to these estimates, this particular variant accounts for up to 15% of new cases in Florida.

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In addition to these potential new travel restrictions, CNN reported that considerations are also being made by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky to implement mandatory COVID-19 testing for domestic travel.

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As of this writing, no policy announcements or changes are considered “imminent,” and no new travel restrictions or health measures would be taken without the partnership of state and local governments. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ spokesperson Meredith Beatrice said that he “opposes travel restrictions and does not believe diagnostic tests should be a prerequisite to domestic air travel.”

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A White House official commented that “we’re having conversations about anything that would help mitigate spread.” However according to a White House spokesman, “there have been no decisions made around additional public health measures for domestic travel safety. The administration is continuing to discuss recommendations across the travel space, but no specific decisions are under consideration.” We’ll keep a close watch on any potential developments in the coming weeks.