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White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said that the suspension was carried out on the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control.
After four cases of measles were found among new immigrants, the Biden administration suspended flights from Afghan refugees to the United States.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday that the suspension of flights was made under “very cautious” recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Psaki told reporters: “These people are being quarantined in accordance with public health guidelines, and the CDC has begun full contact tracing.”
Measles is a highly contagious disease and can be fatal, especially in children. Due to the global mass vaccination, its spread has slowed sharply in the past few decades.
Psaki said that all Afghans arriving in the United States must receive “critical immunizations.”
She said: “We are still exploring measures to vaccinate people overseas.”
It is not clear how long the suspension of flights will last. In military bases in Germany, Qatar, Spain, and elsewhere, thousands of Afghans are waiting to be transferred to the United States, where they will be vetted before they can be resettled.
U.S. officials said the country plans to accept 50,000 Afghans During the Taliban takeover, more than 100,000 people were evacuated from Afghanistan last month.
Washington said it will continue its efforts to help American citizens and vulnerable Afghans leave Afghanistan with the U.S. military End of withdrawal August 31.
Qatar Airways’ second flight took off from Kabul on Friday. The plane leaves Afghanistan One day ago, there were 100 passengers, including foreign citizens.
The Biden administration said that Friday’s flight carried 19 American citizens.
National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horn said that two more US citizens and 11 legal permanent residents (LPR) left Afghanistan by land on Friday.
Horn said in a statement: “We are continuing intensive work within the U.S. government to facilitate the safe transit of these individuals who work for us and wish to leave Afghanistan and other U.S. citizens, LPRs and Afghans.”
“Because of the ongoing threat of terrorism in operations of this nature, we will not share the details of these efforts before people leave the country safely.”
On Thursday, Horn confirmed that he had coordinated with the Taliban to facilitate the takeoff of the first flight. “They showed flexibility and they have been pragmatic and professional when we dealt with them. This is a positive first step,” she said of the organization.
Earlier this week, Secretary of State Anthony Brinken Appeal to the Taliban Fulfill its commitment to “allow foreign citizens, visa holders and Afghans to travel abroad as needed.”
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