A number of US administration officials and several airlines told Reuters that the The White House was seriously considering lifting the ban on entry to the United States by a number of countries. Potential beneficiaries include 27 European countriesincluding members of the Schengen area as well as Ireland. The United Kingdom and Brazil would also be represented.
This would be a major first, given that the borders of the United States will remain closed for practically the whole of 2020. In March, the Trump administration imposed these travel restrictions on European citizens in order to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
A control policy that has shown its limits. Despite the closure of its borders, the United States is the country hardest hit by the covid pandemic.. On 26 November, there were almost 13.5 million cases and 270,000 deaths.
The ineffectiveness of closed borders in the fight against the pandemic
The plan to reopen the borders has already been approved by the members of the White House coronavirus task forceand other federal agencies. The US administration recognises that the restrictions no longer make sense. On the other hand, such a measure would give a major boost to the activity of international airlines.
However, outgoing President Donald Trump has yet to make a final decision.. The pandemic in Europe continues to produce worrying daily figures for contamination.
Nor is it certain that Europe will give the green light for the return of American citizens. The timetable for implementing this measure therefore remains very unclear. The only certainty on the US side is that the administration has already indicated thatit will refuse entry to its territory to any citizen who has travelled to China or Iran…
Over the past week, the United States has relaxed its entry protocol somewhat. Last Saturday, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published new travel and screening recommendations for international air travellers. Travellers should now " have a viral test 1 to 3 days before their flight. Travellers should be tested 3 to 5 days after their trip and stay at home for a week".
