The White House said Monday (Sept. 20) that President Joe Biden will ease travel restrictions for foreign nationals entering the U.S. starting in November, allowing foreign citizens to enter the U.S. if they hold a vaccination certificate and a negative certificate of COVID-19 testing.
The Biden administration said it plans to ease entry restrictions for fully vaccinated international tourists starting in early November. But it's unclear which vaccines foreign travelers have been given to the U.S. recognition, and the Biden administration said the decision would ultimately be made by the CDC.
At that time, the United States will relax restrictions on visitors to the United States from China, the United Kingdom, the European Union, India, Brazil, South Africa and other places. Jeff Zients, White House Outbreak Team Coordinator: Jeff Zients made the announcement, but the new rules still require all non-U.S. citizens flying to the United States. Show proof of vaccination before boarding, as well as proof of testing negative for COVID-19 within three days prior to the flight.
For Americans who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, they must be tested for COVID-19 the day before departure and after arriving in the United States. In addition, this change only applies to air travel and does not affect land restrictions.
Zienz told reporters that the timeline, which was implemented in early November, would provide "preparation time" for relevant agencies and airlines.
He said the White House program allows non-U.S. citizens of countries that have been barred from entering the U.S. since early 2020 to enter the U.S. if fully vaccinated.
The United States currently prohibits entry into the country for most non-U.S. citizens who have been to the United Kingdom in the past 14 days, 26 borderless Schengen countries in Europe, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil.
Zienz said the agreements would "protect Americans at home and improve the safety of the international air travel system."
Zienz said the government is taking steps to strengthen governance in three key areas: testing, contact tracing and mask wearing.
About testing:
Zienz stressed that unvaccinated Americans returning to the U.S. will be "subject to stricter testing requirements" that require testing for the virus within a day before departure and another test on arrival in the U.S.
About contact tracing:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will issue a contact tracing order requiring airlines to collect information about travelers traveling to the United States, including phone numbers and email addresses. Airlines will be required to retain contact tracing information for 30 days.
"If someone has potential exposure to COVID-19 and other pathogens, this will enable CDC and state and local public health officials to follow up on inbound travelers and those around them," Zinz said. He added that the new requirement would be more widely applied.
About wearing a mask:
He reiterated that President Joe Biden has expanded the requirement to wear masks on planes, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has doubled the fines imposed on those who refuse to wear masks.
Airline executives have said they will support vaccine requirements for international travel if the borders reopen. Multiple airlines cheered the decision on Monday, calling it an important milestone that will help spur a recovery in the aviation industry and a rebound in the travel economy.
British Airways CHIEF Executive Sean Sean Doyle said in a statement: "Our customers should now feel that the world is reopening to them, the scientific facts are in front of them, and completing vaccinations plus Covid-19 testing can guarantee that it is safe to let go of tourism." "
At present, the US government is still continuing to deal with the rebound of the epidemic. U.S. Pfizer said Monday that lower doses (one-third of the adult dose) of the Pfizer vaccine are safe for 5-year-olds.
A "powerful" immune response was produced in clinical trials in children aged 5 to 11 years.
Scott Gottlieb, a director at Pfizer and a former FDA director, said Monday that the fastest fda approval time will depend on the length of the assessment, depending on whether it is a four-week evaluation or a six-week period, and children between the ages of 5 and 11 may be allowed as early as late October or early November.
Pfizer also expects to release data from clinical trials of its vaccine for infants and young children aged 6 months to 5 years as early as late October.
Article source network integration, invasion and deletion