President Joe Biden told journalists at a news conference last Thursday that the United States is currently reviewing when it can lift restrictions on European travellers.
President Joe Biden revealed he is ‘in the process’ of reviewing Europe to U.S. travel restrictions during a news conference last Thursday.
Under current restrictions, most non-U.S. travellers are banned from entering the United States. However, these rules could likely be eased in the coming weeks.
A brighter outlook – progress with travel between Europe and the U.S.
The U.S. President responsed to the issue raised by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Biden revealed the United States is ‘in the process’ of reviewing Europe to U.S. travel restrictions.
He said he hoped to be able to give a clearer answer about what is likely to happen “within the next several days.”
He continued, “I’m waiting to hear from our folks in our COVID team as to when that should be done.”
A sustainable decision – a long-term solution
Merkel revealed that Biden also told her the United States was ‘in the process’ of reviewing Europe to U.S. travel restrictions.
There were discussions on the impact of the Delta variant on the easing of restrictions. Merkel said, “It has to be a sustainable decision. It is certainly not sensible to have to take it back after only a few days.”
Many people travelling from the U.K. to European holiday destinations have had the status of their destination changed while abroad.
Thus, discussions on Europe to U.S. travel must ensure that something similar does not happen for those travelling across the Atlantic.
Pressure from airlines – reopening transatlantic travel
There have been calls from airlines urging the U.S. to lift travel restrictions for those travelling from Europe.
The easing of restrictions is hoped to cover non-U.S. citizens who have recently been in Britain, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without border controls, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran, and Brazil.
Restrictions on travel between Europe and the U.S. have been in place since March 2020. However, restrictions on those entering the U.S. have already been lifted on regions with much higher COVID-19 infection rates.
An ongoing discussion – looking at what can be done
Bi-weekly talks have been taking place between the White House, the European Union, Britain, Canada, and Mexico since early June. Thus, news that Biden is ‘in the process’ of reviewing Europe to U.S. travel restrictions is welcome to many.
Speaking to Reuters, a White House official said, “There are further discussions to be had before we can announce any next steps on travel reopening with any country.
“We want to ensure that we move deliberately and are in a position to sustainably reopen international travel.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has highlighted the need for safety measured. They called for the implementation of international passenger contact tracing before reopening international travel.
However, it is unclear how long this process could take.
