Biden orders spate of new US virus measures as EU discourages travel

In his first full day as U.S. president, Joe Biden tackled his country's staggering coronavirus caseload with a spate of new measures, including mask-wearing and quarantining requirements, as EU leaders "strongly discouraged" their constituents from non-essential travel.

Before signing 10 executive orders to strengthen the U.S. fight against COVID, Biden confirmed earlier in the day that he had reversed his predecessor Donald Trump's decision to quit the World Health Organization (WHO).

Under the new measures, travelers to the U.S., in addition to needing a negative COVID test result before flying, will now need to quarantine upon arrival, Biden said. This toughened existing regulations under Trump.

Biden's other orders included reenergizing a so-far-stumbling vaccination program and expanding requirements to wear masks on public transport.

The longtime politician was a fierce critic of Trump's approach to handling the virus in the U.S., which with more than 400,000 people dead is the world's worst-hit nation.

The new president is seeking to vaccinate 100 million people in 100 days, increase the use of masks and testing, expand the public health workforce and offer more emergency relief to those struggling with the restrictions.

On Jan. 21 alone the U.S. registered 4,045 new deaths and more than 192,000 new cases over the past 24 hours.
With infection rates spiraling and vaccine campaigns still in their infancy - and with the global death toll now past two million - countries from Lebanon to Sierra Leone are tightening restrictions.

EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and Council president Charles Michel encouraged Europeans to refrain from non-essential travel Thursday while warning that tougher...