NL – The United States is extending its entry ban on European travelers, including those traveling from the Netherlands, through the end of 2020, the U.S. Embassy in the Netherlands confirmed to BNR. Until January 1st, no Dutch people, including journalists and entrepreneurs, will be allowed into the country. There are only a handful of exceptions, including Dutch who legally reside in the U.S., and for the prime minister, according to the broadcaster.
This move may be an attempt by the Trump Administration to “strike first”. On Tuesday, The New York Times reported that the Schengen Area was planning on extending its entry ban on people from the US. The reason cited was how inconsistently the US has handled the pandemic, with many parts of the country still in the first wave of the outbreak.
In testimony on Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci told U.S. politicians about the “disturbing surge” of SARS-CoV-2 infections in states where the virus was poorly contained, and those states which were doing well. “The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges we are seeing in Florida, Texas, Arizona, and other states,” Fauci, the country’s infectious diseases expert, said.
American President Donald Trump may also be hoping that extending this entry ban will garner more support from his followers – tight borders and banning large groups of foreigners from the company have been key parts of his campaign from the start. It also plays into his promise to keep jobs in the country for Americans – a theme that is likely to land on friendly ears with the economic blows caused by the pandemic.
The Dutch association of journalists, NVJ is annoyed by the fact that journalists are included in the entry ban, pointing out that this means limited cover of the presidential elections in November. “This is at the expense of providing information during the elections and it is also an abuse of the situation,” Thomas Bruning of the NVJ said to BNR.
CDA parliamentarian Martijn van Helvert pointed out to that Americans are currently also banned from entering Europe, but that this is meant to only be for a short period and exclusively for controlling the spread of the coronavirus. “We asked our parliamentary counterparts, the U.S. Congress, what is going on here. I will understand if it is necessary to not allow people from Europe in, but for half a year is striking,” he told BNR
