While the United States administration continues to keep in place its travel ban imposed on travel from European countries amid raised concerns over the Delta variant, EU lawmakers and other business groups continue to call on the US authorities to put an end to such restrictions and permit European citizens to travel to the US again.
Besides, earlier this year, the United States Department of State announced that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would require air passengers two years of age and over entering the US to show a negative result of the COVID-19 test, taken within three days of departure, or proof of recovery from Coronavirus within the last 90 days, VisaGuide.World reports.
“Airlines must confirm the negative test result or proof of recent recovery for all passengers before boarding. Airlines must deny boarding of passengers who do not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery,” the statement published by the US Department of State clarified.
The US travel ban imposed on arrivals from European countries is another problem that European citizens face.
Earlier this month, the US President, Joe Biden, signalled that the ban imposed on travel from Europe could soon be abolished. Biden’s comments came during the news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House.
Regarding this issue the US President said that “It’s in the process of (considering) how soon we can lift the ban … and I will be able to answer that question to you within the next several days.”
However, Merkel stressed that President Biden had also told her the same thing, that he was looking into the matter.
“Before such a decision, one has to reflect. It’s not sensible to have to take it back after only a few days,” Merkel pointed out, as it was reported by CNN.
For over 16 months, the US administration has frozen flights from Europe as well as other territories considered profoundly affected by the disease in order to halt the further spread of the virus. Even though vaccinated travellers from the United States are permitted to enter most European countries, restriction-free, European citizens are still banned from entering the US.
Despite speculations that the US administration will soon abolish the travel ban imposed on travel from Europe, sources within the White House told Reuters that the US authorities do not intend to abolish any entry restriction amid the raised concerns over the Delta variant.
In March last year, former US President Donald Trump prohibited the entry of travellers wishing to enter the US from most European countries. Then resident Biden further prolonged such a policy.
On June 28, the European Council included the United States in the list of countries considered safe after taking into account the epidemiological situation on the latter. Therefore, its residents are permitted to visit Europe without additional requirements such as testing or quarantine rules. However, the US still hasn’t opened its doors to travellers from Europe.
Previously, a report published by the World Travel and Tourism Council revealed that the decline in the number of tourists risked leading to a drop in international spending by 79 per cent in the US economy or $425 million a day.