The United States is finally opening up to the world again. US President Joe Biden announced Monday that in November he would end the ban on travel to the US from 33 countries, including members of the European Union and the UK. The date has not yet been declared but hopefully it will be before Thanksgiving on November 25th.
The announcement, which anticipated the official White House communication, “brought relief to many people around the world after more than 18 months of uncertainty, disappointed career opportunities and separation from loved ones,” according to The New York Times newspaper. .
The publication tells the emblematic story of Katie Wait, a British citizen who has been unable to see her Florida-based parents since 2019. “I never expected that if they went to live in America, I wouldn’t be able to join them,” she said. I would not have thought even in a million years that something like this could happen, that the borders would remain closed ”.
In all these months, thousands of people have been separated from their families. Their experiences were shared on social networks with the hashtag #LoveIsNotTourism. However, many bypassed the ban by traveling to a third country, such as Mexico or the Dominican Republic, for more than 14 days, even though this solution was much more expensive.
The US decision to implement travel bans for the first time at the start of the pandemic, in hopes of curbing the spread of the virus, has angered UK authorities and EU member states. Especially since they have canceled the quarantine rules since June, and have welcomed fully vaccinated travelers from the United States (here the article by Formiche.net).
You can then return to travel freely in the United States
The broadcaster CNN has made a summary of all the requirements to enter the American territory from abroad. The measures apply to all foreign citizens and will come into effect from the beginning of November. Jeff Zients, the White House pandemic management coordinator, said this time is needed to allow agencies and airlines to prepare for the new conditions.
On foreigners who have the “green card”, or visas to enter the US, Jen Psaki , secretary of the White House Press, said that it has not yet been decided which criteria to apply. To enter the US it will be essential that foreigners can demonstrate that they have finished their vaccination cycle. Additionally, they will need to submit a negative test before boarding the plane. “Fully vaccinated” travelers will not have to quarantine.
The White House will contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to define the term “fully vaccinated” and identify which vaccines will be considered valid. Returning US citizens will also need to undergo an anti-Covid test and submit the negative result before boarding the plane. If, on the other hand, they are not yet fully vaccinated, they will have to follow stricter rules: tests before boarding the plane and tests upon arrival in the United States.
For all people arriving, however, there will be tracking by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to contact passengers in case of infections in flight. The form with contact information will be filled in by the airline, with telephone number and email, and will remain in the archives for 30 days.
