Borrell applauds the decision and highlights its emotional and social importance
The White House announced this Friday that as of November 8, all foreigners who have received the complete vaccination schedule will be able to enter the United States.
“The new travel policy of the United States that requires the vaccination of foreign visitors will begin on November 8,” said the White House undersecretary of press, Kevin Munoz.
The measure, Munoz explained, will apply to both air and land travel. “This decision is protected by public health, it is rigorous and consistent,” he defended.
The news has been received with pleasure from the European Union, where its High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has described the decision as “very positive”, because “it is important to resume person-to-person contacts and visit again. family and friends. “
This is the most important decision of the current Administration of President Joe Biden, in relation to its travel policy to the United States from abroad, since it comes to replace a much more restrictive one, which categorically prohibited the entry of the majority of foreign citizens, especially from some places in Europe, as well as from India, Brazil, or China.
The White House has indicated that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have already informed the airlines of which vaccines are valid to enter the country, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as Those that at the moment have the endorsement for their emergency use, set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The same rule will apply to non-essential travel across land borders, as well as those arriving by sea. “Travelers must be prepared to attest to their vaccination status and present an official proof,” said a White House source quoted by CNN.
“By January, foreign nationals who cross the land border for both essential and non-essential reasons should be fully vaccinated,” he said.
The ban on foreign visitors from entering the United States was imposed during the first days of the pandemic, in January 2020, when former President Donald Trump initially decided to close the borders for those arriving from China, although he later expanded the list to the Schengen zone, UK, Brazil, South Africa and India were added separately.
