Vaccination may soon be required for foreign travelers to the US

• Getting vaccinated may soon be a requirement for foreign travelers visiting the United States.
• Allied countries, travel industries, and families separated from loved ones have previously suggested to at least allow travel for vaccinated individuals.
• Currently, all air travelers must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test, and travel from so-called high-risk countries is not allowed.

Foreign travelers may soon be required to get the vaccine first before visiting the United States, according to a White House official’s statement on Wednesday.

The administration has been planning a phased approach to easing travel restrictions, as interagency working groups are still looking into a timeline and strategies to safely resume normal travel.

According to the official, who wished to remain anonymous, the policy will eventually require all foreign visitors to the country to be vaccinated before entry, with only a few exceptions. The official said that the policy is still under review and development.

The U.S. has insisted to keep several travel restrictions in place since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. Some restrictions have been extended and even tightened as the delta variant continues to spread.

Currently, travel to the U.S. is not allowed for non-U.S. residents who have been to China, the European Schengen area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, Brazil, and South Africa in the past 14 days.

The current rules also require all air travelers to the U.S., whether vaccinated or not, to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of travel to the country.

Allied countries, travel industries, and families separated from loved ones have all continued to urge the Biden administration to lift some restrictions. They have argued that the situation in the U.S. is actually worse than that in some prohibited nations. Others suggested to at least allow travel for vaccinated individuals.

The reported plans to allow entry to vaccinated travelers were well-received by airline trade group Airlines for America.

Source: AP