A total of 16 Republican governors, including Alabama’s own Governor Kay Ivey, addressed a letter to US Presidents Joe Biden, urging to abolish the COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed on international travel imposed as part of efforts to halt the further spread of the Coronavirus and its new variants.
Based on the data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, citizens from countries outside the United States planning to enter the territory are obliged to present valid proof which shows they have completed their immunization process against the virus, VisaGuide.World reports.
“The lifting of mask mandates and testing requirements for air travel were stepped in the right direction. Now, you should end the requirement that all non-United States citizen travelers entering the United States be fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” the letter reads.In this regard, Alabama Governor Kay, who also signed the letter, stressed that current travel restrictions are hurting the economy of America, which as of last week, is officially in recession. Following the example of other territories worldwide, authorities in Alabama also imposed mask mandates as well as other restrictions in order to stop the virus’ further spread. Recently, authorities in Alabama have reported a surge in the number of infections. According to a WHNT news report, as of July 10, there were 1.5 million cases of COVID-19 infection. Regarding the issue, Ivey stressed that it has negatively affected the American business and supply chain. Other governors who also signed the letter include Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), Asa Hutchinson (R-Ark.), Mike Dunleavy (R-Alaska), Brian Kemp (R-Ga.), Brad Little (R-Idaho), Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa), Mike Parson (R-Mo.), Greg Gianforte (R-Mt.), Tate Reeves (R-Miss.), Doug Burgum (R-N.D.), Chris Sununu (R-N.H.), Henry McMaster (R-S.C.), Kevin Stitt (R-Okla.), Bill Lee (R-Tenn.), Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.), and Mark Gordon (R-Wyo.). According to the figure provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), a total of 91,149,143 cases of COVID-19 infection have been registered in the United States since the start of the pandemic, while a total of 1,023,774 persons have died during the same period. The entry bans and other restrictions imposed to stop the Coronavirus spread, and its new strains have caused significant losses to the US industries, especially the travel and tourism sector. The data provided by the World Travel and Tourism Industry recently revealed a loss of $766 billion in the US travel and tourism sector in 2020 due to the suspension of flights and other measures imposed due to the virus.