The White House issued a proclamation today imposing a travel ban on travelers who have recently been to Brazil.

Key points:

  • Foreign nationals who have been physically present in the Federative Republic of Brazil within the 14 days preceding their intended entry into the U.S. will be barred from entry.
  • The ban does not apply to U.S. citizens. Others who are exempt include: lawful permanent residents; foreign spouses of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents; certain family members of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents; foreign nationals whose entry is in the U.S. national interest; and a limited number of other categories of people.
  • The proclamation takes effect Thursday, May 28 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The proclamation does not apply to travelers aboard a flight scheduled to arrive in the U.S. that departed before the proclamation takes effect.
  • The proclamation will remain in effect until terminated by the president.

Background: The proclamation cites ongoing widespread transmission of COVID-19 in Brazil. As of May 23, the World Health Organization reported that Brazil had 310,087 confirmed cases, the third highest number of confirmed cases in the world after the U.S. and Russia.

BAL Analysis: Employers should account for affected employees and reschedule travel if necessary. BAL is closely monitoring COVID-19 developments and will update clients as new information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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