U.S. travel restrictions are staying in place

The U.S. will maintain current travel restrictions for international travelers, citing the spread of the Delta variant and rising COVID-19 cases among the unvaccinated, a White House official confirmed to CBS News. 

The White House is facing pressure from the tourism industry and those with loved ones in the U.S. to lift the restrictions. The Biden administration understands the importance of travel and wants to reopen international travel safely, the official said, but noted that the Delta variant is highly transmissible, and the White House expects cases are likely to continue rising in the weeks ahead. Recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that Americans should avoid travel to the United Kingdom. Reuters first reported that U.S. travel restrictions will remain in place.  The U.S. now prohibits most non-citizens who have been to the U.K., many other European nations, India, South Africa, Brazil, China and some other countries from traveling to the U.S. Travel is also restricted from neighboring Canada and Mexico, although Canada will soon allow fully vaccinated U.S. citizens into the country.