EU: Time to Close Doors to US Travelers

European Union recommends member nations ban non-essential travel
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 30, 2021 8:24 AM CDT
Updated Aug 30, 2021 12:17 PM CDT
Europe Poised to Close Doors to US Travelers
Travelers move through Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City.   (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

American tourists have been able to fly to Europe throughout the summer, but it will likely become more difficult to get those flights in the near future. The European Union on Monday recommended that its 27 member nations ban non-essential travel from the US, reports the Wall Street Journal. The move reinstates a recommendation that was lifted in June when COVID caseloads began to decline, notes CNN. At the time, the EU expected the US to return the favor, but that never happened, and USA Today suggests Europe is playing "tit-for-tat" now that the tourist season is winding down. Members of the EU are not obligated to follow the recommendation, and it's possible some nations might still allow US travelers who have proof of vaccination.

In fact, the AP says Americans "should expect a mishmash of travel rules across the continent." The recommendation itself refers to the "possibility for member states to lift the temporary restriction on nonessential travel to the EU for fully vaccinated travelers.” The EU also removed Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, and North Macedonia from its safe-travel list. Britain is no longer in the EU, and it has the US on its "amber" travel list. That means American visitors who are fully vaccinated don't have to quarantine upon arrival, but a COVID test is required before and after arrival in the UK. (More COVID-19 stories.)

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