E.U. Agrees to Reopening for Vaccinated Visitors
The European Union agreed today to reopen its borders to visitors who have been fully vaccinated. People coming from a list of “Covid safe” countries will also be allowed in. Member countries have come in agreement and are now working to put rules in place just in time for summer travel.
Ambassadors from the 27 member states reached consensus at a meeting on Wednesday, endorsing a proposal by the European Commission, The New York Times reports. The list of safe countries will be finalized on Friday, and the new measures could go into effect as early as next week.
Vaccinated visitors will have to show proof of full immunization using one of the shots approved by the World Health Organization. That covers the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines. That means that vaccinated Americans could soon start traveling to Europe. All three vaccines administered in the U.S. are eligible, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
Some countries like Greece, Iceland and Croatia have opened up to tourists from the United States and other countries already. Airlines are also getting ready for a rush of U.S. travelers to Europe. JetBlue is launching flights to London later this summer.
Europe is also being cautious with the reopening process. European Union member states will retain the freedom to tweak these measures as they see fit. So we could see some countries requiring negative PCR tests or quarantines for certain visitors. The bloc will also maintain an emergency-brake option that will allow it to quickly introduce travel restrictions if a Covid emergency emerges.
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