Fully vaccinated foreign visitors can enter U.S. starting on Nov. 8

WASHINGTON: OCT. 16 – Fully vaccinated foreign visitors will be allowed to enter the United States starting on Nov. 8, the White House said on Friday.

“The US’ new travel policy that requires vaccination for foreign national travelers to the United States will begin on Nov. 8,” Kevin Munoz, White House assistant press secretary, tweeted.

“This announcement and date apply to both international air travel and land travel. This policy is guided by public health, stringent, and consistent,” said Munoz.

A White House official told CNN that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has already informed airlines that all the Food and Drug Administration approved and authorized vaccines, as well as all vaccines that have an Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization, will be accepted for U.S.-bound air travel.

“We anticipate the same will be true at the land border,” the official said.

Non-American citizens will have to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated and have a negative test result taken within three days before they board a U.S.-bound flight, Jeff Zients, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said last month.

Fully vaccinated international travelers entering the United States will no longer need to quarantine for 14 days after arrival, said Zients.

For unvaccinated Americans returning to the United States, the coordinator said they will be “subject to stricter testing requirements,” including a test within one day of departure and proof that they have bought a test to take after arriving in the United States.

The easing of travel restrictions will halt a patchwork of bans imposed by former President Donald Trump’s administration since the onset of the pandemic on travel from 33 countries across the globe.

It will also finally give people overseas who have been separated from family in the United States the chance to reunite.

Expected to ease a major source of tension between the United States and Europe, which complained about U.S. hesitancy in removing the measures amid an uptick in vaccination rates, the new rules were also cheered by the U.S. travel industry, which has been lobbying the federal government to make the changes.

-Xinhua