The United States will lift restrictions in place on international travel for those vaccinated in November 2021. What will be the conditions to get there?
[Mis à jour le 30 septembre 2021 à 17h47] Since the start of the global pandemic in March 2020, it has been impossible for European Union nationals to travel to the United States. Set up in January 2021, the “travel ban” will be lifted “at the beginning of November” as announced by the White House at the end of September, confirming information from CNN and the Politico site. The United States will thus authorize entry into their territory to all fully vaccinated international travelers.
In addition to showing proof of vaccination against Covid-19, travelers will have to be tested in the three days before their trip to the United States, and wear a mask, said the coordinator of the fight against the pandemic at the White House, Jeff Zients. A contact tracing system will be put in place by the airlines, which will have to collect the information to contact travelers. The lifting of the restrictions will affect people immunized with vaccines recognized by the US drug agency, the FDA, namely those from Pfizer / BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). Unvaccinated Americans abroad who would like to return home will need to test negative 24 hours before traveling to the United States and will need to be tested again after arrival.
Border controls to go to the United States vary depending on the country of origin. Thus, all citizens of the European Union aged two years and over and having a special authorization to go to the United States must undergo a visual check with absence of symptoms as well as a random temperature measurement. People two years of age or older must also present a negative PCR test of less than 72 hours or a vaccination certificate, as well as a health certificate.
From November, vaccinated travelers will be able to travel to the United States following the lifting of the Travel ban. In addition to showing proof of vaccination against Covid-19, travelers will have to be tested within three days before their trip to the United States, and wear a mask. There will be some exceptions, especially for children who are not yet eligible for vaccination.
Many countries around the world still impose a more or less long quarantine on their tourists upon their arrival in the territory. This quarantine consists of a few days – or even weeks depending on the country – of total isolation. In the United States, quarantine rules vary by state. Local health authorities, however, recommend that people arriving in the United States from abroad carry out a minimum of one week of quarantine, along with a PCR test 3 to 5 days after their arrival. To know the quarantine rules related to each state, you should contact the Consulate of the American state where the stay is planned.
To limit state-to-state transmission of the virus, most countries around the world have established a quarantine for travelers coming from abroad. The latter has indeed proved its worth and made it possible to limit the risks of the appearance of clusters. In France, a quarantine is imposed on travelers returning from certain destinations. When a French resident returns from the United States, he must be able to provide a PCR test of less than 72 hours or an antigen test of less than 48 hours if vaccinated. Unvaccinated travelers from the United States must take a PCR test of less than 72 hours or an antigen test of less than 48 hours, then undergo a quarantine of seven days from their home.
To curb the spread of the virus on its territory, the United States has implemented a system of curfews in most of its states. This curfew has made it possible to reduce the appearance of clusters in the private sector. In the United States, the curfew is still in effect in some states, although it has been removed in most. In New York, for example, the curfew, in effect between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., was lifted in June 2021. In other states in the country, it is still in place and prohibits people from leaving their homes. in the evening and at night. The goal? Avoid contagion during late gatherings, more conducive to non-compliance with barrier gestures.
Because different states or different regions of the same country may experience different health situations, measures to restrict movement within countries have been implemented in many areas. These measures aim to limit the circulation of the virus on the national territory, and to isolate the clusters by preventing their spread. In the heart of the pandemic, links between the different states of the United States have been particularly disrupted. Today, most of them have been restored, and it is possible to connect one state to another by car, bus or train without constraint. This is great news for travelers, since traveling from one state to another is one of the greatest attractions of the United States.
After nearly two years of Travel ban, the United States will reopen its borders “at the beginning of November” to vaccinated international travelers. They will also have to be tested and wear a mask, while a contact tracing system will be put in place, said the coordinator of the fight against the pandemic at the White House, Jeff Zients. There will be some exceptions, especially for children who are not yet eligible for vaccination. In addition, the new rules will not immediately apply to travelers crossing the land borders with Mexico and Canada.
Some states in the United States such as New York and California have been hit hardest by the virus. This is why the authorities have decided to close many public places at the heart of the pandemic. Today, most of these sites have reopened, and non-essential businesses have been able to resume service. National parks in particular are once again open to the public. Shops, restaurants, bars and tourist sites are open under restrictions (sanitary gauges, wearing of masks, social distancing, etc.). If wearing a mask is no longer compulsory outdoors, it remains essential in public transport and in enclosed public places. Gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited.
All US airports are open again, allowing relatively free state-to-state travel. As for the resumption of France-United States flights, it has been gradual since the beginning of spring. Airlines connecting France to the United States are gradually resuming service, with fewer flights than before the pandemic, but a figure that should change greatly over the coming months.
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