The U.S. will again welcome overseas visitors, starting in November, but only if they are fully vaccinated, freshly tested and available for contact tracing. The move will end a ban on non-essential visitors that has been in place for over 18 months.
The announcement this morning came from White House Covid Response Coordinator Jeff Zients, and has been long awaited by prospective travelers, and especially by airlines that are anxious to fill their seats. The continuing ban has been an issue for European governments, which have pointed out that they are already welcoming U.S. visitors on pretty much the same terms.
More details will come later, including a decision on what vaccines will be considered acceptable. The U.S. has approved three—Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson&Johnson—while the European Medicines Agency has approved those three and Astra Zeneca. Other countries have also approved other vaccines, including those from Russia and China. No decision has yet been made on which, if any, of those will be acceptable.
Aside from proof of vaccination, travelers will need a negative test taken within three days of departure, and masks will be required during the trip. There will be no quarantine requirement, but an enhanced tracking system will be in place.
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