The United States will reopen to air travelers from China, India, the United Kingdom, and other European nations who have received COVID-19 vaccines in early November, the White House said Monday, lifting severe pandemic-related travel restrictions imposed earlier this year.
Travel Restriction of the United States
In a recently published article in France24, the U.S. restrictions were initially placed on Chinese visitors in January 2020 by then-President Donald Trump and then expanded to other nations in the months that followed, with no clear criteria for how and when they would be lifted.
In April of this year, President Joe Biden imposed additional travel restrictions on India, prohibiting most non-US nationals from visiting the country. In January, Trump announced intentions to ease limitations on European nations, which Biden vetoed.
Meanwhile, as it transitions to the new criteria, the White House intends to allow non-US citizens to travel from nations that have been banned from entering the U.S. since early 2020, according to White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients, as per NDTV.
Read Also : White House to Implement US Travel Restrictions from India, but Ban Unlikely to Stop COVID-19
Some Exceptions in the New Requirement For Airline Passengers
Officials indicated there would be certain exceptions to the vaccination ban, such as for youngsters who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated. Travelers crossing land crossings with Mexico and Canada are now exempted from the new restrictions.
Passengers will need to provide evidence of being completely vaccinated before boarding flights to the United States, as well as documentation of a negative COVID-19 test conducted within three days, according to Zients. Americans who have not been completely vaccinated will be allowed to enter only if they test negative within a day of departure.
Furthermore, on US-bound flights, masks will be required; and carriers will submit contact tracing information to US health officials. Zients said, "This new international travel system follows the science to keep Americans' international air travel safe," according to a published article in Independent.
Europe and Airlines Accept the New Announcement
Airlines petitioned the White House for months to get the limitations removed in time for the summer travel season, but they were unsuccessful. In July, the White House expressed worry about the highly contagious coronavirus Delta variant and an increase in COVID-19 cases in the United States.
Several European nations, as well as the trade organization Airlines For Europe, were quick to applaud the move to eliminate vaccination requirements, stating that "this decision would provide a much-needed boost to trans-Atlantic travel and tourism, and will reconnect families and friends," according to a published report in Reuters.
Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, tweeted that he was "delighted," adding that it was "a wonderful boost for business and commerce, and excellent that family and friends on both sides of the pond (Atlantic) may be reunited." Johnson is presently in the United States for a visit. Furthermore, German Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised the news as a step forward for the industry and European-American relations.
It was a significant milestone in the reopening of travel at scale, said Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss, enabling consumers and companies to plan trips to the United States with confidence.
Related Article : US Will Not Lift International Travel Restrictions Due to Delta Variant
