US opens up to fully vaccinated travellers

US to ease travel restrictions for UK travellers

The US has reopened to passengers coming from UK, EU and other nations after easing its coronavirus travel restrictions.

From November, foreign travellers will be allowed to fly into the US if they are fully inoculated, and undergo testing and contact tracing.

The US has had harsh restrictions on travel in place since early last year.

The move meets a major demand from European allies, and means that families and friends separated by the restrictions can be reunited.

“It’s a happy day – Big Apple, here I come!” French entrepreneur Stephane Le Breton told the Associated Press news agency, as he looked forward to a trip to New York City that had been put on hold because of the restrictions.

White House Covid-19 co-ordinator Jeff Zients announced the new rules on Monday, saying: “This is based on individuals rather than a country-based approach, so it’s a stronger system.”

“Most importantly, foreign nationals flying to the US will be required to be fully vaccinated,” he said.

US restrictions were initially imposed on travellers from China in early 2020, and then extended to other countries.

The current rules prohibit entry to most non-US citizens who have been in the UK and a number of other European countries, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil within the last 14 days.

Under the new rules, foreign travellers will need to demonstrate proof of vaccination before flying, obtain a negative Covid-19 test result within three days of travelling, and provide their contact information. They will not be required to quarantine.

Officials said there would be some exceptions to the new policy, including for children who are not eligible to be vaccinated.

It was not immediately clear if the new rules applied only to US-approved vaccines, with Mr Zients saying this would be determined by the US Centers for Disease Control.

A White House source told the BBC that the question of whether people who have had the AstraZeneca vaccine or 12- to 18-year-olds who have only had one jab would be allowed in under the new rules was a level of “granular detail” that was still being worked out, though this would affect millions.

Americans who are not fully vaccinated will still be able to enter, but they will need to be tested before their return to the US, and after they arrive home.

Mr Zients said the policy would come into effect in early November, but did not give an exact date.

The new rules do not apply to land borders, meaning that restrictions continue to apply to cross-border travel with Canada and Mexico.

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