New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called on the federal government to take action in the wake of a new, highly contagious variant of the COVID-19 virus circulating in the United Kingdom. Several European countries have already imposed new restrictions on individuals traveling from the United Kingdom, including banning travelers and mandatory testing measures, yet the United States has not yet taken action in response.

The Governor called on the federal government to consider multiple restrictions in the wake of the new variant of COVID-19, including imposing mandatory testing of individuals traveling from the United Kingdom on flights to the United States, as well as a new travel ban from Europe. The Governor's office says the actions being recommended take into account lessons learned from March 2020, when the federal government was late to impose a European travel ban allowing the virus to spread throughout New York State and the country.