White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has announced in a media briefing that possibly as soon as early November, vaccination and testing requirements will replace the US ban on international inbound travel.
Since January 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US has had various travel bans in place preventing entry to the country by persons who have in the past 14 days been in certain countries including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the UK and the 26 Schengen Zone countries of Europe.
Under the new plan, beginning sometime in November 2021, the US will instead require international visitors to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and to provide a negative result of a test taken within 3 days of travel to the US. There will be no requirement to quarantine upon arrival.
Yet to be resolved are issues of eligible vaccines (the AstraZeneca vaccine which is widely used in Europe isn't approved for use in the US), and, re children, a cutoff age below which unvaccinated children may enter, and a possible testing requirement.
Rules are also changing for unvaccinated Americans returning from visits to other countries. Currently Americans can enter the US by showing a negative result of a test taken within 3 days prior to return travel.
Under the new plan, Americans who are not fully vaccinated will need to provide a negative result of a test taken:
- Within 24 hours of traveling to the US
- Again after entering the US.
It's unknown how long returning Americans will have to produce a test result after re-entry, or if or how these tests might be monitored.
Obviously, it behooves the prudent American wanting to travel abroad to first get fully vaccinated.
Masks will be required on all US inbound flights, and airlines will be required to provide US health authorities with contract-tracing information.
Upon hearing this news, UK PM Boris Johnson tweeted:
"I am delighted that from November, @POTUS is reinstating transatlantic travel so fully vaccinated UK nationals can visit the USA. It’s a fantastic boost for business and trade, and great that family and friends on both sides of the pond can be reunited once again."
