The US will reopen its borders ‘in the beginning of November’ to vaccinate international travelers

On Monday, September 20, the White House announced that the United States will allow entry into its territory for travelers vaccinated against Covid-19 from the European Union and the United Kingdom in particular, lifting restrictions imposed in March 2020.

All travelers from abroad, provided they have been fully vaccinated, will be able to enter from “beginning of november”, she added.

They will also have to be tested and wear a mask, while the contact tracing system will be put in place, the White House’s anti-epidemic coordinator Jeff Zents said. The latter insisted on the fact that this decision, which comes in the context of great tension between France and the United States, was “Science dictates”. There will be some exceptions, especially for children who are not yet eligible for vaccination. In addition, the new rules will not apply immediately to travelers crossing the land borders with Mexico and Canada.

The United States currently bans its territory from most foreign nationals who have resided in the past 14 days in the 26 countries in the Schengen Area as well as in Ireland, the United Kingdom, China, India, Southern Africa, Iran and Brazil.

The United States has taken time, according to Jeff Zents, to put in place a world order based on “individuals” And not on the differences in treatment by country of origin. He did not specify which vaccines would be recognized to allow entry to travelers.

Borders closed for eighteen months

US borders have been closed to millions of international travelers, whether tested or vaccinated, since March 2020, a situation that has caused growing impatience among Europeans in particular, causing painful personal and family situations.

The European Union, for its part, announced on August 30 that it was restoring restrictions on non-essential travel to its territory from the United States, but it leaves its member states with the possibility of lifting the ban on fully vaccinated people.

Jeff Zents also explained that unvaccinated Americans who return to the United States after staying abroad will be subject to stricter testing obligations. So they will be required to take the test the day before their return and again after they arrive on US soil.

The White House has toughened its tone in recent weeks and doubled down on ads to force a vaccination where federal authorities can afford it. However, it has not yet made one of the most radical decisions in its power, which is to impose vaccination on domestic flights in the United States.

Satisfaction in Europe

“It’s a wonderful boost to business and commerce, and it’s great that families and friends from both sides of the ocean are able to meet again.”Welcome to Twitter British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. “Good news for travelers from the UK to the US”Britain’s diplomatic chief Liz Truss responded on Twitter. “It is important to our economic recovery, our families, and our business.”

“Excellent news for German and European investments, our exports and the entire transatlantic relationship”, still claimed on Twitter Olaf Schulz, German Vice-Chancellor and Finance Minister.