U.S. Assesses Changes to Coronavirus Travel Restrictions

The U.S. government has been assessing changes to sweeping travel restrictions. Much of the world’s population has been barred by these restrictions from coming to the United States. So far, the Biden administration has not arrived at any decisions yet, government and industry officials said.

On Wednesday, the European Union countries agreed to ease coronavirus travel restrictions on non-EU visitors. This move, ahead of the summer tourist season, could open the EU’s door to all Britons and to vaccinated Americans.

Sources said that Ambassadors from the 27 EU countries approved a European Commission proposal from May 3. That was to  loosen the criteria to determine “safe” countries. Moreover,  to let in fully vaccinated tourists from elsewhere.

For more than a month now, Biden administration agencies have been holding meetings. They have been reaching out to industry officials, weighing changes to the restrictions first imposed in 2020 which barred many travellers from entering the U.S. They are looking to possibilities about when and how they can begin unwinding those travel curbs. 

A White House spokesman was asked if vaccinated Europeans would be allowed to enter the U.S. There were no changes in travel restrictions planned at the moment, the spokesman said.

Travel Groups

The U.S. Travel Association hoped the “European Union’s risk-based, science-driven plan to reopen international travel will hopefully spur the U.S. to heed the many calls for a plan and timetable to safely reopen our borders. This was a statement from the association.

At a news conference on Wednesday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that any decision to lift restrictions “ultimately is a public health decision”.  There is an interagency process and obviously the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking a leading role, he said.

There are two ways of looking at this, one is to look at countries, the other is to look at travelers. That is  in terms of trying to maximize safety and allow for more travel, Buttigieg added.

A coalition of U.S. and European travel groups has called for a full reopening of the U.S.-UK air travel market. This includes airline, union, business, and airport groups calling for a reopening as soon and as safely as possible. They hope that by early June, both governments will lift restrictions.

Much of Europe still bans travels, while Britain allows American visitors.

It however requires a 10-day quarantine on arrival and two COVID-19 tests.