Covid-19: United States to allow all fully vaccinated travelers in early November

Published on : 09/20/2021 – 4:31 PMModified : 09/20/2021 – 17:08

The United States will let in from “early November” all travelers from abroad on condition that they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the White House announced Monday, September 20. Travelers must also be tested within three days before their trip to the United States, and wear a mask.

In addition, a traveler tracking system will be set up by the airlines, which will have to collect the information to contact them, said the coordinator of the fight against the pandemic at the White House, Jeff Zients.

Washington is thus lifting restrictions that had been weighing on travelers from the European Union, the United Kingdom or China since March 2020, then applying later to India or Brazil.

Jeff Zients insisted on the fact that this decision, which comes in a context of great tension between France and the United States, was “dictated by science”.

The United States took the time, he said, to put in place a global system based on “individuals” and not on differences in treatment depending on the country of origin. He did not immediately indicate which vaccines would be recognized by the United States to allow entry of travelers.

The coordinator of the fight against the pandemic of Joe Biden specified, moreover, that unvaccinated Americans who would return to the United States after a stay abroad would be subjected to even more stringent testing obligations. They will thus be asked to be tested in the day preceding their return, and to be tested again after their arrival on American soil.

The White House has toughened its tone in recent weeks and multiplied announcements to impose vaccination where federal authorities can afford it. However, it has not – so far – taken one of the most drastic decisions in its power, namely to impose vaccination on domestic flights in the United States.

With AFP