US to allow fully vaccinated foreign visitors from November 8

Travellers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to travel to the United States starting on November 8, the White House said Friday.

“The US’ new travel policy that requires vaccination for foreign national travellers to the United States will begin on Nov 8,” said Kevin Munoz, White House assistant press secretary, on Twitter. “This announcement and date applies to both international air travel and land travel. This policy is guided by public health, stringent, and consistent.”

The move would relax a patchwork of bans that had begun to cause fury abroad and replacing them with more uniform requirements for inbound international air passengers. It will come as welcome news to the travel industry, which had been lobbying the federal government to lift some of the rules preventing international tourism, as well as airlines, hotels and hospitality groups.

A White House official told CNN further guidance on “very limited exceptions” to the requirements, along with what COVID-19 vaccines will be accepted and other operational details in advance of the November 8 date.

“CDC has already informed airlines that all FDA approved and authorised vaccines, as well as all vaccines that have an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) from the WHO will be accepted for air travel. We anticipate the same will be true at the land border,” the official said.

The same rules will also apply to non-essential travel at the American land borders and to visitors who arrive in the US by passenger ferry.

“These travellers are required to be prepared to attest to vaccination status and to present proof of vaccination to a CBP officer upon request,” the official said. “By January, foreign nationals traveling across the land border for both essential and non-essential reasons will be required to be fully vaccinated.”

Source: CNN