U.S. reopened borders to vaccinated travelers

11/08/2021 By Sebastian Ospina

Travel restrictions preventing non-American citizens from entering the United States from 33 countries—including India, Brazil, China, and most of Europe—have been lifted after a 20 months-long ban.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia

President Joe Biden announced the date for reopening on October 25.

“I have determined that 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,” the White House said in a statement.

To enter the U.S., visitors must provide proof of complete vaccination against the coronavirus, with exceptions for children under 18 and people who are medically unable to be vaccinated. Additionally, anyone over the age of 2 must show a negative Covid-19 test within the past three days.

In New York’s JFK airport, travelers were greeted with applause, cookies, and balloons. In Miami International Airport, the scene was emotional, with many families seeing each other in person after almost two years.

US health authorities have said all vaccines approved by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will be accepted for entry into the country by air.