The U.S. will ease travel restrictions for international visitors who are vaccinated against Covid-19 in November, including those from the U.K. and EU, the White House said Monday.
According to Jeff Zients, who is leading the nation’s Covid response efforts for the White House, travelers visiting the United States will have to show proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test taken within three days of departure, according to CNBC News.
European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton is meeting with Zients in Washington Monday, and both sides are expected to make the public announcement later today. European diplomats, and the Commission, have been pushing the U.S. for months to lift the ban, which they see as unjustified, according to Politico.
The United States currently bars most non-U.S. citizens who within the last 14 days have been in Britain, the 26 Schengen countries in Europe without border controls, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran, and Brazil.
It is expected that the new rules for non-U.S. travelers entering the United States will go into effect sometime in early November. Travel restrictions for those from the EU and U.K. have been in place since March 2020 and were extended by President Joe Biden upon his inauguration.
The ban on foreign travelers coming into the country due to the coronavirus pandemic has had wide-ranging effects on industries including airlines, retail, and restaurants. Airlines will be required to collect and provide passenger information to aid contract tracing under the new rules, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“In the coming weeks, CDC will be issuing a contact tracing order requiring airlines to collect current information for each U.S.-bound traveler, including their phone number and email address,” Zients said.
