After a year and a half, the United States lifted the corona-related entry restrictions for vaccinated people. These are the most important questions and answers.
What has happened in the last year and a half? Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, most Europeans have been barred from entering the United States. In the past year and a half, only US citizens and permanent residents have been able to board a flight from Europe to the United States. The US authorities only granted extraordinary permits in a very restrictive manner.
Now who can re-enter USA? From November – the exact date is still unknown – European tourists and business people from all Schengen countries and Great Britain can re-enter the United States. The condition for this is that they are fully vaccinated and tested negative 72 hours before departure. In addition, they must provide their telephone number and email address to the US authorities for contact tracing. Children are not affected by the new regulation, only adult foreigners must be fully vaccinated upon entry.
Observers suspect that the Biden government did not want to put additional pressure on relations with European allies.
What vaccines does the US accept? According to the US health authority CDC, any COVID 19 vaccine approved for emergencies by the World Health Organization (WHO) is accepted upon admission. On the one hand, there are vaccines used in the United States by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. On the other hand, the Astra-Zeneca and Sinovac vaccines which are used worldwide. Therefore the United States accepts all corona vaccines approved in Switzerland (Pfizer/Biontech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson) for entry.
Why did the US government wait so long? The European Union has already lifted the entry ban for US citizens for the summer holidays – even those without vaccinations. But President Joe Biden’s US government has so far refused to uphold reciprocal rights – in the context of the highly contagious Delta version of the coronavirus. This tough stance caused a lack of understanding in Europe.
Why is the US government changing its stance now? The White House’s responsible pandemic coordinator explained the US government’s change of heart with a sharp increase in the number of people vaccinated in several European countries. “But observers also suspect that the Biden government did not want to put additional pressure on relations with European allies. Because it is currently tense, especially since the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, but recently because of France’s hesitation from a submarine deal with Australia,” explains the United States correspondent Mathias Kundig.
Will the new entry rules affect flight prices? Adit Damodaran, an economist at travel research firm Hopper, predicts that rising demand will result in a hike in fares on flights out of Europe. Tariffs may increase, although flight booking congestion has slowed due to the Delta version and the high number of cases in the United States.
