On Monday, September 20, 2021, Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, announced that the Biden Administration will begin to ease travel restrictions starting in early November for international travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. There will be few exemptions, including children not yet eligible to be vaccinated.
The new restrictions would replace a series of travel bans imposed during the Trump administration and continued through the Biden administration that limit travel into the U.S. from the Schengen countries, UK, Ireland, Brazil, China, Iran, India and South Africa. The rule will apply to all travelers to the United States instead of only those traveling from the designated regions. Currently, foreign nationals who have been physically present in the Schengen countries, UK, Ireland, Brazil, China, Iran, India, or South Africa within the past 14 days before boarding a flight to the United States are not permitted to board unless they fall under one of the exclusions or exceptions outlined in President Biden’s January 25, 2021 proclamation.
Under the new rule, fully vaccinated travelers will still be required to undergo COVID-19 mandatory testing within 72 hours prior to their departure to the United States. Similarly, American travelers who are not fully vaccinated will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test one day before their travel to the United States, and will also be required to undergo testing again after their arrival. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will specify the particular vaccines that will qualify under the new rule. The CDC will also issue a Contact Tracing Order that will require airlines to collect comprehensive contact information for every passenger.
The full details of the new policy have not yet been released, but we will continue to monitor the situation and provide an update once it is available.
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