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The Biden administration is finalizing plans to require nearly all visitors to the United States from overseas to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
A White House official told the press service that the administration was working to prepare “a new system for when we can reopen travel.” The official added that in practice, the revised policy will mean “with a few exceptions, that foreign nationals traveling to the United States (from all countries) must be fully immunized.”
Reuters also reported that the Biden administration has been in talks with U.S. airlines about setting up an international contact tracing system for passengers.
Key questions about the system remain unanswered, including what U.S. officials will accept as proof of vaccination and whether travelers who have received vaccines approved for use in other countries, but not the United States, will be allowed in. .
The United States is currently banning travel for non-nationals who have visited the United Kingdom, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil in the past 14 days.
The restriction also applies to 26 European countries which have no border controls. These countries are: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The Biden administration has refused to ease its travel restrictions even as some allies allow fully vaccinated Americans to enter. The European Union (EU) recommended allowing US travelers in June, although individual European countries set their own rules, and the UK has opened up to fully vaccinated travelers from the US and the United States. EU Monday.
The United States has also kept its land borders closed for travel from Canada and Mexico until at least August 21, even though Canada allows fully vaccinated Americans to enter on August 9.
Critics have criticized the White House for maintaining travel restrictions even as thousands of illegal immigrants are released inside the United States. White House press secretary Jen Psaki deferred to public health officials when asked about the matter on Tuesday.
“I certainly understand that there is a desire to do so [lift travel restrictions] by many people in the United States, many people around the world, ”she said. “We understand that. I just don’t have an update on this and when it will happen.
With post wires
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