Trump decree on Covid visiting rules rebuffed as he enters final day

US President-elect Joe Biden has moved to dismiss a new White House decree on Covid travel rules, as Donald Trump enters his final full day in office.

 

In one of his last orders, Mr Trump had tried to end travel bans for visitors from much of Europe and Brazil.

Mr Biden's spokeswoman said now was not the time to be easing travel measures.

Joe Biden will take office at 12:00 (17:00 GMT) on Wednesday. However, much of the spotlight is on Trump's final moves, including presidential pardons.

Security is intense in Washington DC ahead of the inauguration ceremony. Thousands of National Guard reserve soldiers have been deployed in the wake of the storming of the Capitol building by a pro-Trump mob on 6 January that left five people dead.

The FBI had earlier warned of possible protests across the nation by right-wing extremists emboldened by the invasion.

Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, are expected to travel to Washington from their home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday.

What was the Trump decree about?

 

The US imposed travel restrictions on Europe last March and the Brazilian entry ban was put in place in May, but the White House decreed on Monday that the entry ban would end on 26 January, six days after Mr Biden takes office.

Just minutes later, Mr Biden's spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said on Twitter: "On the advice of our medical team, the administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 1/26. In fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel in order to further mitigate the spread of Covid-19."

She said that with "more contagious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel".

 

What of the inauguration ceremony?

The ceremony will be unlike any other. The traditional tens of thousands of spectators will not be present because of Covid restrictions, some 25,000 National Guard soldiers are being deployed and Donald Trump will snub his successor by not attending - something that has not happened for more than 150 years.

Fears of a possible insider attack on the ceremony have led the FBI to carry out background checks on all National Guardsmen.

On Monday, the Capitol complex was briefly locked down after a security alert, with police acting out of an "abundance of caution" when witnesses reported smoke rising nearby. The fire was several blocks away and there was no danger to the public.

Some 200,000 flags, bathed in light, have been planted on the National Mall to represent the crowds who cannot attend and reflect on those who lost their lives to Covid.