Rep. Carlos Giménez (Fla.) on Monday became the latest Republican to call for the administration to ban travel between China and the U.S., even as public health experts and officials say there is nothing to worry about.
“Communist China cannot be trusted. Until more is known about this mysterious illness, we must immediately ban all travel between Communist China and the United States to guard our public health and protect our country,” Giménez said during a Fox News interview.
The remarks by Giménez follow a letter sent Friday by a group of five Senate Republicans led by Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.).
But health officials have said there is no cause for alarm, and China is likely experiencing the same surge of seasonal respiratory diseases that the U.S. experienced in 2022.
Because of the country’s COVID lockdowns, the usual cohort of respiratory viruses weren’t circulating, and children weren’t able to build up immunity defenses. Once those pathogens returned, outbreaks happened.
Last year, the U.S. saw scores of young children infected by respiratory syncytial virus much earlier than in past years, overwhelming children’s hospitals and emergency rooms across the country. One of the primary reasons was an “immune deficiency” caused by so many people staying home during peak pandemic.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Mandy Cohen told lawmakers last week that statements from China regarding the cause of the illnesses have been corroborated by both a CDC office and European Union partners.
