Ever since the onset of COVID-19, most nations have pretty much closed their borders or restricted access for citizens of certain nations in an attempt to limit the virus’ spread. Australia, for example, had initially “sealed” its border and severely limited travel between its own states and territories but later instituted a “travel bubble” between itself and New Zealand. These "bubbles" were actually detailed agreements between countries that had appeared to be successful in containing the spread of COVID-19. They allowed citizens to move freely between the nations involved, with either no curbs or restrictions or a reduction in their number. Due to the controls and the selective nature of the countries involved, they were seen as a safe way to resume travel. But for Australia and New Zealand, it wasn’t that simple.
Quarantine-free travel was halted between the two South Pacific nations on July 23, just weeks after it was launched, as the infectious Delta variant spread across Sydney and Melbourne. The moratorium was due to end on Sept. 24 but New Zealand suspended its travel bubble with Australia on September 17 for a further eight weeks. This illustrates how rapidly entry requirements can change. What was acceptable today is prohibited tomorrow. Travelers are therefore strongly advised to check and recheck their entry requirements so as to avoid confusion and ensure they’re permitted to enter the country they choose to visit.
Elsewhere, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, during an interview with German press RND, , urged the US to lift its travel ban on EU travelers. The pressure had been steadily mounting on President Biden to rescind the travel ban put in place by the former Trump Administration in March of 2020 at the start of the pandemic. The EU added the US to its list of safe countries in June and the UK has allowed vaccinated Americans to enter the country since August 2. The US had been reluctant to reciprocate. France recently became the latest European nation to issue travel restrictions on unvaccinated American visitors. The move prompted outraged responses from some, but many Europeans seemed to believe the move was America’s just desserts. The issue for wary Europeans wasn’t simply America’s persistently high coronavirus case numbers, or the lingering pockets of anti-vaccination sentiment that have seen an immunization front runner become an also ran. It’s that most Europeans, vaccinated or not, have been banned from the United States since March 14, 2020: more than 567 days and counting. But all that will soon be changing.
The US will “reopen” in early November to air travelers from thirty-three countries, including China, India, Brazil, and most of Europe who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The White House made the announcement on September 20, easing tough pandemic-related restrictions that started early last year. The decision, unveiled by White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients, marked an abrupt shift for President Joe Biden's Administration, which said just weeks ago it was not the right time to lift any restrictions amid rising COVID-19 cases. Unfortunately, ”early November” was the only time frame specified and, with November only a month away, travelers in Europe, the United Kingdom and other places the travel ban covers, are desperately seeking an exact date so they can firm up their travel plans. America had lagged behind many other countries in lifting such restrictions, and allies welcomed the move. The former US restrictions barred travelers from most of the world including tens of thousands of foreign nationals with relatives or business links in the US. Now, the country will admit fully vaccinated air travelers from the twenty-six so-called Schengen nations in Europe including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and Greece, as well as Britain, Ireland, South Africa, and Iran. The previous US restrictions barred non citizens who were in the thirty-three named countries within the past fourteen days.
Roger Dow, President and CEO of the US Travel Association recently said, “The association applauds the Biden Administration’s announcement of a roadmap to reopen air travel to vaccinated individuals from around the world, which will help revive the American economy and protect public health. This is a major turning point in the management of the virus and will accelerate the recovery of the millions of travel-related jobs that have been lost due to international travel restrictions.” The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) also welcomed the news. “The US lifting travel restrictions to restore transatlantic travel between the EU and the UK is welcome news - not only for hard-pressed airlines, but for the wider Tavel & Tourism sector, which has been decimated by COVID-19,” said Julia Simpson, WTTC President and CEO in a statement. “It will finally enable families to be reunited, business travelers to resume face-to-face meetings and events, and for Travel & Tourism to return, providing a major boost to these economies.”
To complicate matters however, a vaccine mandate for domestic US air travel may be on the horizon. It’s an idea that Dr. Anthony Fauci has backed, but the travel industry is definitely not on board. He‘s quoted as saying, "I would support that -- if you want to get on a plane and travel with other people that you should be vaccinated.” Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a top presidential medical adviser, told MSNBC in mid-September that testing requirements and vaccine mandates for travel are under consideration but not yet decided. White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients claimed the administration is "not taking any measures off the table.” An airline industry official, speaking to CNN on the condition of anonymity, said there would be "tremendous challenges" in executing such a mandate, underscoring that it would also need to apply across all forms of transportation including trains and buses. But it might actually become the law of the land. The US Travel Pubic Safety Act, introduced this week by California Senator Dianne Feinstein, would require all US passengers to be fully vaccinated, fully recovered or test negative for the coronavirus before boarding any domestic flight.
A vaccine mandate for domestic travel would likely present a host of logistical challenges. Decentralized record-keeping makes vaccination in the United States difficult to verify. Requiring proof raises the question of whether the government or individual airlines would collect the information, and some states have banned businesses from requiring proof of vaccination. US airline executives are cautiously reacting to the possibility of additional mandates for air travel. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby have both previously said they don't expect a vaccine mandate for domestic air travel. Vaccine mandates are already in place in many cases for international travel, they noted. Delta's Bastian also highlighted the challenge of managing such a domestic requirement." There's no evidence that there's been spread of COVID in the domestic air transport system," he told CNN in late August. "As a result of that, coupled with the logistical challenge of carrying millions of people a week in the domestic system, it would be quite a logistical snafu for us to try to require that domestically.” Any decision on vaccine mandates for US travel would be "up to the government," United CEO Kirby declared last month, adding ”We'll be prepared to support it if the government decides to do it domestically. We’ll react to the mandate if and when it’s instituted." Stay tuned.
Until next time...safe travels.
George, as these mandates seem to be changing day to day thank you for the latest update! As always, you are a wealth of information. ❤️