Claire Thomson
The United States is set to lift travel restrictions for fully vaccinated, international travellers from 8 November.
Every year, millions of tourists worldwide flock to cities across the United States. From attractions such as Disneyland and Warner Bros. Studio Tour to famous cities like New York City and Los Angeles, it is hardly surprising how popular the country is as a tourist destination. In 2019, the US recorded almost 80 million international arrivals. Yet, since the pandemic this number has plummeted, with a mere 19.45 million arrivals last year.
A change to restrictions
Following a long stint of strict travel restrictions, to the relief of millions, the White House declared on Friday 15 October that there would no longer be a ban on fully vaccinated travellers from certain nations entering the United States. The new rules will apply to 33 countries, including 26 EU nations, the UK, Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, and South Africa. Whilst travellers will not be required to quarantine on arrival, they must have proof of full vaccination and a negative test in the 72 hours before travelling to be allowed entry.
Current Controversy and Concerns
This comes as a breath of fresh air, after the controversy caused by the current restrictions. The rules at the moment forbid entry to most non-US citizens travelling from these countries. However, passengers from 150 other countries – many with similarly high Covid-19 infection rates – have been allowed to travel into the US freely.
There have also been concerns about which vaccines will be accepted as proof of vaccination. A full set of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson doses, administered at least 14 days before arrival, are all recognised as official vaccines in the US. However, Oxford AstraZeneca is not authorised for usage in the US. Despite this, Dr Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s Chief medical adviser, has stated that “the United States is poised to recognise the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for visitors.”
It has been largely presumed that children under the age of 18 will be exempt from these requirements, but that is yet to be fully confirmed.
A light at the end of the tunnel
Having hinted on the potential of this announcement in early September, the confirmation gives hope to both European travellers and the US tourism industry. Whilst the new measures will not be in place for the half-term break, there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel for families wanting to get away on a big holiday, or people desperate to see their loved ones again.
Featured image courtesy of JoshuaWoroniecki via Pixabay. Image license found here. No changes or alterations were made to this image.
Claire Thomson
Aspiring Sports Journalist and Modern Languages Student (French/German) at University of Glasgow