The government of United States has announced that it will finally lift its travel restrictions for fully vaccinated international travellers on 8th November 2021, opening land borders and air travel for millions of people.
Finally Reopening
The White House, on Friday, announced that it will lift travel restrictions for fully vaccinated on 8th November 2021. While the US Government had previously announced it would allow entrance to international vaccinated travelers in November, it hadn’t set a particular date.
The lifting of Presidential Order 212F allows vaccinated travellers from the Schengen countries in Europe, as well as Britain, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran, and Brazil to enter the country. Currently, the US is barring entrance to foreign citizens who have been in those countries within the past 14 days.
However, fully vaccinated travellers will continue to be required to present a pre-departure negative test taken within three days of travel prior to boarding. They will also have to provide proof of their vaccination status.
Airlines are excited
The airlines in the United States and Europe are excited about the reopening of US borders.
Shai Weiss, CEO, Virgin Atlantic, said:
The US Government’s confirmation that fully vaccinated UK visitors will be able to enter the US from 8 November is welcome news and finally allows consumers and businesses to book travel with confidence. The US has been our heartland for more than 37 years and we are simply not Virgin without the Atlantic. We’ve been steadily ramping up flying to destinations such as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and we can’t wait to fly our customers safely to their favourite US cities, on holiday or to reconnect with friends, loved ones and colleagues.
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He added:
As the UK forges its recovery from the pandemic, the reopening of the transatlantic corridor and the lifting of Presidential Order 212F acknowledges the great progress both nations have made in rolling out successful vaccine programmes. The UK will now be able to strengthen ties with our most important economic partner, the US, boosting trade and tourism as well as reuniting friends, families and business colleagues. We are thankful to Prime Minister Johnson and the UK Government, the Biden administration and our industry partners for their support in removing these barriers and allowing free travel between our countries to resume.
Sean Doyle, Chairman and CEO, British Airways, said:
Nearly 600 days since the introduction of the US travel ban, this is a pivotal moment for the entire travel industry and finally provides the certainty we have so desperately needed. We can’t wait to welcome our customers back on board and reconnect friends and families across the Atlantic, rebuild US-UK business relationships and reclaim Britain’s position as a leader on the global stage.
Julia Simpson, President & CEO, WTTC, said:
It is great news that the U.S. will reopen its borders to fully-vaccinated travellers from the UK and EU. It has been a long time coming, but the Travel & Tourism businesses on both sides of the Atlantic will be breathing a sigh of relief. Visitors from the EU and the UK contributed more than $46 billion to the U.S economy in 2019, showing just how critical this move will be to the U.S recovery. WTTC believes that governments should axe red lists completely, and instead base the risk on individuals rather than entire countries.
What do you think of United States reopening its borders to fully vaccinated international travellers? Let me know in the comments section below.
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