Why Restricting International Travel Probably Won’t Prevent the Next Pandemic
New research casts doubt on a growing rationale for extending travel bans indefinitely.
The U.S. side of the border with Canada, near Seattle, which was closed for nonessential travel in March.
Photographer: Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
One of the earliest policy responses to the arrival of Covid-19 in the U.S. was to restrict international movement. In February, the Trump administration announced restrictions on travelers from China. Then Europe and Iran. In March, the Northern and Southern borders were partially closed; categorical bans were put in place on asylum seekers, and then on people moving to the U.S. for work or to be with family.
And while travel bans were a particular emphasis for the Trump administration, it wasn’t just the U.S. that favored this approach. Some 179 countries implemented emergency restrictions.