The United States is the latest country to announce new requirements for travellers entering the country. Here's how fully vaccinated travellers can enter the U.S. when borders reopen on November 8
News about countries reopening their borders for travel is coming in hard and fast—and we're absolutely living for it.
Yesterday, American President Joe Biden has outlined new rules for fully vaccinated travellers entering the United States, which will reopen its borders on November 8, lifting severe travel restrictions on China, India and much of Europe.
Previously, the rules barred most non-U.S. citizens who had been in Britain, the 26 Schengen countries in Europe without border controls, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil, within the last 14 days.
"It is in the interests of the United States to move away from the country-by-country restrictions previously applied during the COVID-19 pandemic and to adopt an air travel policy that relies primarily on vaccination to advance the safe resumption of international air travel to the United States," President Biden said in a statement.
See also: Thailand Will Open Its Borders To 46 Countries In November, Here's The Full List
So what are the new rules?
The U.S. will require most incoming visitors to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, with airlines operating flights into the country required to check passengers' vaccination status before they can board the plane.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said this month it would accept any vaccine authorised by U.S. regulators or the World Health Organization, and will accept mixed-dose coronavirus vaccines from travellers.
Travellers entering the U.S will need to provide proof of a negative PCR or LAMP Covid-19 test taken within three days prior to departure, while unvaccinated Americans and foreign nationals with medical exemptions will need to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within one day of departing.
There will also be new contact tracing efforts requiring airlines to collect passenger information including phone numbers, email and U.S. addresses for 30 days in case it needed "to follow up with travellers who have been exposed to Covid-19 variants or other pathogens."
"Families and friends can see each other again, tourists can visit our amazing landmarks. This policy will further boost economic recovery," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
Pack your bags. We're going, going, back, back to Cali Cali.
See also: Here Are All the Places Vaccinated Singaporeans Can Travel to