The US on Nov. 8 plans to reopen its land and air borders to foreign visitors who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, loosening a more than 18-month ban on travel from much of the globe that separated families, hobbled tourism and strained diplomatic ties.
The decision to ease restrictions was “guided by public health, stringent and consistent,” White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz wrote on Twitter on Friday, announcing the policy.
He said the “announcement and date applies to both international air travel and land travel.”
The new policy was quickly hailed by the EU Ambassador to the US Stavros Lambrinidis, who called it “important and very welcome news,” and wrote on Twitter that more details were expected to follow.
In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, US borders were closed after March last year to travelers from large parts of the world, including China, Brazil, India, the UK and the EU. Overland visitors from Mexico and Canada were also banned.
The months of restrictions affecting hundreds of millions of people helped fuel personal and economic suffering brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Airlines for America trade association said its members were “eager to begin safely reuniting ... countless families, friends and colleagues,” adding that the “reopening of borders is essential for our nation’s economic recovery.”
International Air Transport Association director-general Willie Walsh said that “for the millions who have been locked out of the US for up to 18 months, it is great news that the US will welcome fully vaccinated foreign travelers.”
Not all the technical and logistical details of the new policy have been announced, but officials had previously outlined them, saying that vaccinated air passengers would need to be tested for the virus within three days of travel, and airlines would be required to have a contact tracing system.
US health authorities have said all COVID-19 vaccines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the WHO would be accepted for entry by air.
This week, a White House source said the land border opening would happen in two phases.
Initially, vaccines would be required for “non-essential” trips — such as visiting family or tourism — although unvaccinated travelers would be allowed into the country for “essential” trips.
A second phase beginning in early January next year would require all visitors to be fully vaccinated to enter the US by land, no matter the reason for their trip.
MAKING WAVES: China’s maritime militia could become a nontraditional threat in war, clogging up shipping lanes to prevent US or Japanese intervention, a report said About 1,900 Chinese ships flying flags of convenience and fishing vessels that participated in China’s military exercises around Taiwan last month and in January last year have been listed for monitoring, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said yesterday. Following amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法) and the Law of Ships (船舶法) last month, the CGA can designate possible berthing areas or deny ports of call for vessels suspected of loitering around areas where undersea cables can be accessed, Oceans Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said. The list of suspected ships, originally 300, had risen to about
DAREDEVIL: Honnold said it had always been a dream of his to climb Taipei 101, while a Netflix producer said the skyscraper was ‘a real icon of this country’ US climber Alex Honnold yesterday took on Taiwan’s tallest building, becoming the first person to scale Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net. Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-story skyscraper to watch Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix. Dressed in a red T-shirt and yellow custom-made climbing shoes, Honnold swiftly moved up the southeast face of the glass and steel building. At one point, he stepped onto a platform midway up to wave down at fans and onlookers who were taking photos. People watching from inside
Japan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response in such an event. Takaichi expressed her latest views on a nationally broadcast TV program late on Monday, where an opposition party leader criticized her for igniting tensions with China with the earlier remarks. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese
The WHO ignored early COVID-19 warnings from Taiwan, US Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill said on Friday, as part of justification for Washington withdrawing from the global health body. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said that the US was pulling out of the UN agency, as it failed to fulfill its responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The WHO “ignored early COVID warnings from Taiwan in 2019 by pretending Taiwan did not exist, O’Neill wrote on X on Friday, Taiwan time. “It ignored rigorous science and promoted lockdowns.” The US will “continue international coordination on infectious
RSS