White House may ban entry into the country for some US citizens and green card holders

White House officials have circulated a proposal that will give the US border authorities an exceptional opportunity to block the entry of US citizens and permanent residents from Mexico into the country if they suspect they are infected with the coronavirus. This was told by two officials of the US presidential administration and one person who is directly familiar with the plan, writes The Washington Post.

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It's unclear whether the Trump administration has the legal authority to block citizens and permanent residents from returning to their country, but one official said the administration was weighing a public health emergency statement that would allow the White House to keep out potentially infected Americans.

Medical experts have warned the administration that such restrictions will have little impact on the fight against the pandemic because there is already very active transmission in the United States. The outbreak in the country is the worst in the world, with more than 5 million confirmed cases and widespread in many parts of the country, especially in the south and southwest.

Within the presidential administration, there is strong opposition to the plan to ban the return of sick Americans to the country. The discussions were first reported by the New York Times on Monday, August 10.

Although the disease is spreading widely in South Texas, Arizona and other border areas, with active transmission on both sides of the border, President Trump continues to talk about the Mexican border as the source of the disease, using this argument to propagate the border wall he is building as a shield. from the virus.

The Trump administration has already cited the pandemic to institute a rapid deportation system at the border that allows most of the migrants taken into custody by the US border patrol to immediately return to Mexico.

If implemented, the proposal to temporarily ban Americans from returning home would be the first attempt to apply such restrictions to the hundreds of thousands of US citizens and permanent residents who legally cross the border every day. The administration has restricted nonessential travel, but those who cross the road for study, work, work or medical appointments generally enter without restrictions.

The virus continues to rage in the United States: The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Association of Children's Hospitals have reported that more than 97 children in the United States have tested positive for the virus in the last two weeks of July, accounting for more than a quarter of all children in the country who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus since March. 000 year. This is the latest sign that the pandemic has reached every corner of the country and all demographic groups.

The report, which cites data from 49 states, as well as areas such as Puerto Rico and Guam, also found that there have been more than 380 child cases since the pandemic began.

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По словам авторов, на конец июля это число составляло около 9% от общего числа случаев заболевания в Соединенных Штатах. Общее число случаев в США по данным на середину дня 11 августа превысило 5,2 миллиона, было зарегистрировано более 166,7 тысяч смертей — намного больше, чем в любой другой стране. Согласно данным, по состоянию на 14 апреля люди моложе 19 лет составляли всего 2% случаев в стране.

The spike in cases among children comes amid the opening of some schools in the country. Many school districts intend to work only remotely until the number of local patients drops. Some have opted for hybrid learning systems, in which children only go to school intermittently, to limit crowding. But even some schools that have taken measures to reduce student enrollment have experienced outbreaks.

North Paulding High School, located near Atlanta, hit the news last week when pictures of schoolchildren in crowded hallways not wearing masks appeared on social media. The school recently sent out a letter to parents announcing that the facility would be closed for personal training for at least two days after 9 people tested positive for the virus.

On Monday, Aug. 10, when asked at a White House press conference about coronavirus in young people, Trump said children make up "a tiny fraction" of viral deaths and added that overall, "they recover very quickly."

«Я думаю, что школы должны открываться, — сказал президент. — Я думаю, что открытие школ очень важно для экономики».

Согласно отчету по данным на 10 августа, 7 из 10 новых случаев заболевания у детей были зарегистрированы в южных и западных штатах. Аризона сообщила о наибольшем количестве случаев заболевания на душу населения среди детей 30 июля — более 1000 на 100 000 человек. Луизиана, Южная Каролина и Теннесси были единственными другими штатами с более чем 800 случаями на 100 000 человек.

The report says the number of deaths from coronavirus among children remains rare, at less than 1% of the country's total deaths. Children also still make up a relatively small percentage of those hospitalized, but a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Hispanic and black children were significantly more likely to be hospitalized with the condition than their white counterparts.

Teachers in the United States have threatened to strike as an unusual school year begins. Schools have reopened and the number of new cases is growing rapidly. Districts that have spent the summer drawing up hybrid plans that would have children attending school part-time have abandoned these models as cases increased. Universities have changed their starting dates and their policies of residence without further notice. And many school districts have yet to make final decisions about fall, even as summer approaches.

The confusion arises as families and businesses across the country combine the inevitable demands and desire to get back to normal with the reality of a virus that continues to spread wherever people congregate in large numbers.

For example, a month after the opening, Walt Disney World changed its opening hours to a schedule that takes effect September 8, the day after Labor Day. Disney's already limited hours will be cut by one to two hours per day, depending on the park. The change comes just days after Disney reported unexpectedly low park attendance and a “negative impact” on profits from restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, with the serious consideration of canceling the college football season, the president joined members of Congress and athletes in opposing the move.

«Студенты-спортсмены слишком много работали, чтобы отменить сезон. #WeWantToPlay», — написал Трамп днем 10 августа. Спустя 51 минуту он добавил: «Играйте в американский футбол!»

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The ongoing struggle is not limited to the United States, even though it remains the epicenter of the pandemic.

Премьер-министр Великобритании Борис Джонсон заявил 9 августа, что у правительства есть «моральный долг» — обеспечить возвращение учащихся в классы в сентябре, что может привести к конфликту с членами оппозиционной Лейбористской партии, которые сомневаются в том, приняты ли адекватные меры безопасности.

Health Secretary Helen Whateley told Sky News: "Unfortunately, we saw that children from more disadvantaged families were more likely to fall behind in school at this time, so it is very important that children go back to school this fall."

Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, has expressed doubts about the plan, saying that contact tracing needs to be improved first. The Commissioner for Children of England and the British National Education Union has also called for regular coronavirus testing in schools.

Coronavirus cases have increased in several European countries in recent weeks, prompting some governments to implement new public health guidelines to keep transmission under control.

В Париже любой человек старше 11 лет обязан носить маску на многих открытых площадках. Ежедневно в районе Парижа подтверждается около 400 случаев заболевания, многие из которых — у людей в возрасте от 20 до 30 лет.

In Germany, where students are starting to return to school, new protocols have been introduced at airports requiring tests for travelers arriving from countries with a high risk of coronavirus infection.

In Spain, the number of hospitalizations has quadrupled in the last month. In Ireland, 8 new infections were confirmed on 174 August, the highest number of cases reported there in about three months.

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