US easing foreign travel restrictions; vaccinations required

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden volition easiness overseas question restrictions to the U.S. opening successful November, allowing foreigners into the state if they person impervious of vaccination and a antagonistic COVID-19 test, the White House said Monday.

The caller rules volition regenerate a hodgepodge of restrictions that had barred non-citizens who had been successful Europe, overmuch of Asia and definite different countries successful the anterior 14 days from entering the U.S. The changes volition let families and others who person been separated by the question restrictions for 18 months to program for long-awaited reunifications.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients announced the caller policies, which inactive volition necessitate each overseas travelers flying to the U.S. to show impervious of vaccination earlier boarding, arsenic good arsenic impervious of a antagonistic COVID-19 trial taken wrong 3 days of flight. Biden volition besides tighten investigating rules for unvaccinated American citizens, who volition request to beryllium tested wrong a time earlier returning to the U.S., arsenic good arsenic aft they get home.

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Fully vaccinated passengers volition not beryllium required to quarantine, Zients said.

The caller argumentation volition regenerate the patchwork of question bans archetypal instituted by President Donald Trump past twelvemonth and tightened by Biden that restrict question by non-citizens who person successful the anterior 14 days been successful the United Kingdom, European Union, China, India, Iran, Republic of Ireland, Brazil and South Africa.

Those question bans had go the root of increasing geopolitical frustration, peculiarly among allies successful the UK and EU wherever microorganism cases are acold little than the U.S. The easing comes up of Biden gathering with immoderate European leaders connected the margins of the United Nations General Assembly this week.

“This is based connected individuals alternatively than a country-based approach, truthful it’s a stronger system," Zients said.

The EU and UK had antecedently moved to let vaccinated U.S. travelers into their territories without quarantines, successful an effort to boost concern and tourism travel. But the EU recommended past period that immoderate question restrictions beryllium reimposed connected U.S. travelers to the bloc due to the fact that of the rampant dispersed of the delta variant of the coronavirus successful America.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention volition besides necessitate airlines to cod interaction accusation from planetary travelers to facilitate tracing, Zients said.

It was not instantly wide which vaccines would beryllium acceptable nether the U.S.-system and whether those unapproved successful the U.S. could beryllium used. Zients said that determination would beryllium up to the CDC.

Zients said determination would beryllium nary contiguous changes to the U.S. onshore borderline policies, which proceed to restrict overmuch cross-border question with Mexico and Canada.

Britain welcomed the U.S. announcement that it is lifting quarantine requirements for vaccinated planetary travelers.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that helium was “delighted” by the news. He said: “It’s a fantastic boost for concern and trade, and large that household and friends connected some sides of the pond tin beryllium reunited erstwhile again.”

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss tweeted that the determination was “excellent quality for travelers from the UK to the US. Important for retired economical recovery, families and trade.”

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Britain scrapped quarantines for afloat vaccinated travelers from the U.S. and the European Union successful aboriginal August, and has been pushing for Washington to easiness its rules. But Johnson said Sunday that helium did not expect the alteration to travel this week.

Airlines hailed the U.S. determination arsenic a lifeline for the struggling industry. Tim Alderslade, main enforcement of manufacture assemblage Airlines U.K. said it was “a large breakthrough.”

Shai Weiss, main enforcement of Virgin Atlantic, said it was “a large milestone to the reopening of question astatine scale, allowing consumers and businesses to publication question to the U.S. with confidence.”

“The U.K. volition present beryllium capable to fortify ties with our astir important economical partner, the U.S., boosting commercialized and tourism arsenic good arsenic reuniting friends, families and concern colleagues,” Weiss said.

The caller aerial question argumentation volition instrumentality effect successful “early November," Zients said, to let airlines and question partners clip to hole to instrumentality the caller protocols.

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AP writer Jill Lawless contributed from London.

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