The United States on Monday decided to ease the ongoing foreign travel restrictions for travellers coming from the European Union (EU) and United Kingdom (UK), news agency AFP reported.
The strict ban has been in place since March last year. Lifting an 18-month-old travel ban, the US said that it will allow vaccinated travelers to enter beginning in November.
All foreign travellers flying to the US will need to demonstrate proof of vaccination before boarding, as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of flight, said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients, who announced the new policy on Monday.
President Joe Biden will also tighten testing rules for unvaccinated American citizens, who will need to be tested within a day before departure to the US, as well as on their return.
Fully vaccinated passengers will not be required to quarantine, Zeints said.
The new policy replaces a patchwork of travel restrictions first instituted by President Donald Trump last year and tightened by Biden last year that restricted travel by non-citizens to the United Kingdom, European Union, China, India and other countries.
Biden will also require airlines to collect contact information from international travellers to facilitate contact tracing, Zients said
(with AP inputs)
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