International travel: Biden administration updates COVID-19 guidelines

After months of severe international travel restrictions, the US is preparing to reopen its borders. This week President Joe Biden announced that fully vaccinated travelers from certain countries will be able to enter the US in early November.

Reuters reports that this relaxation of travel guidelines will allow citizens from countries like China, India and Brazil to enter the US as long as they are vaccinated with the approved vaccines, which is the responsibility of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC).

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“In early November, we will put strict protocols in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by passengers flying internationally to the United States by requiring adult foreign nationals traveling to the United States to be fully vaccinated,” said Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary.

While the decision was praised by the travel industry, it represented a marked departure from what Biden’s government has warned in recent weeks, particularly since the rise of the Delta variant. It is not known exactly when this rule will be approved. White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said it would be in early November.

During the pandemic, the US allowed international travel from over 150 countries. While the loosening of these guidelines may seem puzzling to some, it suggests that individuals who were previously unvaccinated and allowed to enter the United States will now need to follow the new guidelines for entry into the U.S. to present a negative COVID-19 test, which was carried out three days prior to departure for the USA

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International COVID-19 travel bans were imposed in 2020 when President Donald Trump was in charge. China was the first country to be banned by the US, a decision that later expanded to dozens of other places without any precise knowledge of when these policies would be lifted.