TRUMP BANS BRAZILIANS

Measure vs. new virus hot spot

The White House on Sunday announced a ban on most noncitizens traveling to the United States from Brazil, an emerging epicenter for the coronavirus.

The Trump administration said it is suspending entry to the US for foreign nationals who have been in the hard-hit country in the past 14 days.

“The potential for undetected transmission of the virus by infected individuals seeking to enter the United States from the Federative Republic of Brazil threatens the security of our transportation system and infrastructure and the national security,” President Trump said in a proclamation of the ban, which takes effect late Thursday.

“I have determined that it is in the interests of the United States to take action to restrict and suspend the entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of all aliens who were physically present within the Federative Republic of Brazil during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States.”

After originating in China in late 2019 and traveling abroad to ravage nations including Italy, Spain and the US, the coronavirus has recently gained a toehold in Brazil to terrifying effect.

As of Sunday evening, Brazil had seen 347,398 confirmed cases of the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University — the most reported in any nation other than the US. The South American nation has lost 22,013 citizens to the pandemic.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly referred to the deadly bug as a “little flu,” rankling public health officials.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the travel ban was intended to “protect our country” by keeping Brazil’s bout with the virus from spilling over onto US soil, but she stressed that trade between the two nations wouldn’t be impacted.

“Today’s action will help ensure foreign nationals who have been in Brazil do not become a source of additional infections in our country,” McEnany said. “These new restrictions do not apply to the flow of commerce between the United States and Brazil.”

The restrictions exempt US citizens or legal permanent residents, plus their spouses, parents or children.

National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday that he hoped the ban could be lifted soon.

“We hope that’ll be temporary, but because of the situation in Brazil, we’re going to take every step necessary to protect the American people,” O’Brien said.

The Trump administration has already restricted travel from China and Europe amid the pandemic. The president said last week that he was mulling a similar step for Brazil.