- According to Reuters, the Biden government may require foreign tourists to the country to be fully vaccinated.
- This move marked a shift in travel restrictions, which caused the United States to close most of the world for more than a year.
- At the same time, the world is coping with a surge in cases caused by the Delta variant.
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According to reports, as part of the plan to reopen the U.S. border, the White House indicated that it may require almost all foreign tourists to the United States to be vaccinated. Reuters, There are some exceptions.
A White House official told Reuters that the White House is negotiating with government agencies and airlines to “prepare a new system for our reopening of travel.”
The official said that the reopening of the border would be “a phased approach, which over time means that, with a few exceptions, foreign citizens traveling to the United States (from all countries) will need to be vaccinated.”
It is not clear if or when the government will introduce new requirements.
Fearing about the coronavirus, the United States closed its border with China for the first time in January last year. The border closure was later extended to other countries, including the European Union and the United Kingdom, as well as Brazil and India.
The latest development marks a major policy shift in U.S. international travel.The White House said last week Travel restrictions will remain unchanged Increased cases due to Delta variants.
According to reports, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a press conference: “The more contagious Delta variant is spreading here and around the world.” New York Times, Among the unvaccinated people, the number of infections has soared.
Due to border closures and grounded flights, the country’s tourism and aviation industries have been severely hit by the pandemic. According to data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the United States received 79.4 million tourists in 2019, and tourism revenue before the pandemic exceeded $193 billion. In 2020, the country received only 19.4 million tourists.
