For fear of the spread of the Delta variant, the United States imposed entry restrictions in March. These are now being relaxed – but only for those who have been completely vaccinated.
The USA wants to make a full corona vaccination a prerequisite for entry into their country. Washington is developing “a phased approach that, over time, will mean that foreign nationals traveling to the United States – from any country – must be fully vaccinated,” a White House official said. There will be “limited exceptions”. The official did not give a time frame.
They want to enable travel again and stimulate the economy and the aviation industry. Because of the Delta variant, however, they are not yet ready to lift all restrictions, as the official told the Reuters news agency. The working groups dealing with this issue “develop a policy to be able to switch to this new system in due course”. The aim is to make this “sustainable and safe”.
Many questions are still open
The exact implementation of the mandatory vaccination for travelers is currently still being discussed. As reported by the Reuters news agency, the White House is in contact with the airlines. Specifically, it is about the question of which vaccination certificates are recognized when entering from abroad. It is also unclear whether people who have been vaccinated with a vaccine that has not yet been approved in the USA are still allowed to enter the country. The question of how compulsory vaccinations should apply to travelers from Mexico or Canada remains unanswered.
It was only at the end of July that White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki emphasized that the entry restrictions imposed on travelers from Europe and other countries would not be lifted for the time being. As a justification, she pointed out that the more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading “both here and abroad”. The US had restricted entry for citizens of China in January 2020. In the spring these were also extended to the EU, Great Britain and Iran. Other countries were added later, including Brazil and India. Exceptions to the US entry ban apply to students, journalists and business people, among others.
The EU and the travel industry are pushing for easing
According to US media reports, the pressure to lift travel restrictions has increased, among other things, from voices from the travel industry. The EU, which had already lifted its entry restrictions for US citizens in June, has since been urging Washington to do the same, and the economy and couples separated by the regulations are calling for the US entry ban to be lifted. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) had called for a repeal during her visit to Washington in mid-July. President Joe Biden promised a quick review of the regulations. Its experts would examine “how soon” the restrictions could be lifted.
To many, the entry ban seems increasingly absurd, also in view of the rapid progress in vaccination in Europe. In addition, Europeans, if they have the money and time, can bypass the restrictions by staying in a third country like Mexico for two weeks. After 14 days you can then fly to the USA without any problems.
Infection numbers in the USA are rising again
According to a report by the broadcaster CNN, the US authorities were on the verge of lifting the entry restrictions months ago, but decided against it again because of the increasing infections from the Delta variant. In June, the number of corona infections in the USA had dropped to an average of 10,000. Because of the delta variant, the number recently rose again to 80,000 per day. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the mutant now accounts for 90 percent of all infections in the United States.
States with a low vaccination rate and the careless handling of corona protective measures are likely to be responsible for the increasing number of cases. Just last Tuesday, Biden urged some Republican governors, “If you’re not helping, at least avoid people who are trying to do the right thing.” In some states the mask requirement is forbidden, criticized the president. Texas even fined unvaccinated university students to wear a mask.
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