The White House has set new guidelines for foreign visitors to the United States, as flight restrictions are lifted for the first time since the pandemic began in 2020.
The plan to reopen the US border to foreign flights next month includes a requirement that nearly all foreign visitors be immunized against Covid.
The United States travel ban has expanded to include dozens of countries, including the United Kingdom, much of Europe, China, and India.
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The travel industry has petitioned US President Joe Biden to lift the ban.
The ban on flights from most foreign countries, first imposed by Donald Trump, was extended when Mr. Biden took office in January 2021.
Most visitors from Brazil, China, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the 26 Schengen countries in Europe, Ireland, India, and Iran are barred under the rule.
According to the proclamation signed by Mr. Biden on Monday, airlines will be required to check passengers’ vaccination status before allowing them to board departing planes.
“It is in the interests of the United States to move away from the country-by-country restrictions previously applied during the Covid-19 pandemic and to adopt an air travel policy that relies primarily on vaccination to advance the safe resumption of international air travel to the United States,” Mr. Biden says in his proclamation.
Airlines must confirm that the vaccination proof came from an “official source” and was received at least two weeks prior. Vaccines that have been approved by US health regulators will be accepted.
Unvaccinated travelers, including Americans, must present a negative Covid test within one day of departure.
Children under the age of 18 will be exempt from the vaccination requirement, but will still be required to provide a negative test within three days of travel.
The new restrictions go into effect on November 8th.
