As part of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, member countries of the European Union have decided to once again impose restrictions on non-essential travel to its territory, according to a recommendation published on Monday, August 30.
Six countries are concerned: the United States, Israel, Kosovo, Montenegro, Lebanon and North Macedonia. But member states retain the possibility of lifting these restrictions for this type of travel for fully vaccinated people, said the European Commission in a press release.
Before the European Council’s decision, several member states, including Germany and Belgium, already placed the United States on a “red” list, requiring drug tests and periods of isolation for travelers from the country. , but other states like France or the Netherlands considered them a safe country. The EU’s “green” list now has 17 countries, including Canada, Japan and New Zealand.
The European Union still allows the arrival of fully vaccinated travelers from countries outside the EU, although screening tests or quarantine periods are required in some cases, depending on the country of arrival.
The United States, meanwhile, still prohibits EU nationals from freely entering their territory, despite calls from the community bloc. This attitude divides within the EU, between the Member States concerned by the increase in contamination across the Atlantic as well as by the lack of reciprocity measures on the part of Washington and the Member States more dependent on tourism, anxious not to restrict the arrivals of American travelers.
Back to school postponed in several southern states
Dozens of schools have postponed the start of the school year, which took place this month in the United States, due to the outbreak of coronavirus cases, especially in the southern states of the country, more reluctant to health measures.
On Sunday, Doctor Anthony Fauci, responsible for the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic in the United States, spoke out in favor of compulsory vaccination for all children in school while the Delta variant caused a considerable increase in contaminations in the country.
On August 24, on NBC News, Anthony Fauci estimated that the United States could bring the Covid-19 epidemic under control in early 2022 with the approval of several other vaccines in the coming weeks. Since the start of the pandemic, the United States has been the most bereaved country, with 637,523 dead.
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