EU Travel Bans Might Restrict Travellers from America Amid Rising Covid Cases
While the European Union prepares itself to reopen borders on July 1, American travellers might have to wait a little longer to travel to the EU countries. Considering the poor handling of the pandemic situation by the US administration, the EU travel bans might be imposed strictly to ensure safe travel for all. Besides the US, Brazil and Russia are also on the list of countries banned by the union.
As per one EU diplomat, “The criteria will be focused on circulation of the virus”. The recommendations listed as part of the EU travel bans are not compulsory. The final decision to open and close a border lies with each individual country.
Based on the June 11 checklist published by the European Union, a country can be considered as being in a comparable or better epidemiological situation as the average in the EU+ area after due consideration of the trend and the number of new infections, along with response in areas such as containment, contact tracing, testing, surveillance, treatment and reporting.
With the highest number of coronavirus deaths in the world, the US is the worst hit country. Top immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci claims that he was “really quite concerned” about the increasing statistics about community spread in some states.
With regard to the EU travel bans, a coordinated and uniform approach has been enlisted as per which restrictions will be lifted for non-EU countries first. In such scenario, the member states must consider the non-EU countries’ ability to apply containment measures during travel.
People who travel for study or highly skilled non-EU workers whose work is deemed important and can’t be postponed have been allowed to travel. Also, the EU citizens, citizens of Schengen Associated States and non-EU nationals legally living in the EU are exempt from travel restrictions.
The planned travel restrictions on the Americans will imply serious consequences for the EU as the bloc welcomes millions of American tourists each year. As the tourism industry recovers to reach its earlier standpoint gradually, such restrictions on a large group of tourists will prove damaging in the long run. It is likely that the US could retaliate by keeping its ban on European leisure travellers.
Sources claim that the EU might impose travel bans depending on different geographic regions in the US and not a ban on the entire country. Even in such a scenario, business travel will be severely affected. Also, the move would inflame relations as the EU and the US are economically dependent on each other for trade and tourism.
