Foreign tourists will once again be able to enter the US, from November 8, but will have to show proof of full vaccination and a negative Covid-19 test, or a same-day negative test, the White House has announced.
Citing vaccinations, testing and mask-wearing as the best way to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, President Joe Biden declared in a statement on Monday that the US would “move away from the country-by-country restrictions previously applied” and adopt a policy “that relies primarily on vaccination to advance the safe resumption of international air travel” to the US.
Original travel restrictions, imposed in March 2020 and renewed by Biden earlier this year, will be lifted in two weeks. They will be replaced by new restrictions involving vaccination status and contact tracing, however.
Accepted vaccines will include only those approved or authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO).
Airlines will be required to verify the travelers’ proof of vaccination against Covid-19, and provide their contact information to US federal authorities. Even fully vaccinated passengers will still have to submit a negative Covid-19 test taken within three days, while those without proof of vaccination will have to show a same-day negative test, according to the officials.
While some exceptions are envisioned, they will mostly apply to travelers under the age of 18 – who have to show a negative test, even if traveling with fully vaccinated adults – and those with valid medical reasons preventing them from taking the jab. Those traveling on non-tourist visas from countries with “low vaccine availability” will also be exempt.
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