FILE PHOTO: A Delta Air Lines pre-flight cleaning crew member uses an electrostatic disinfection device to clean an aircraft at JFK International Airport in New York, U.S., August 6, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

Ben Burke Producer

U.S.

The White House says it’s set to ease its travel restrictions into the US

Sep 20, 2021

Ben Burke Producer

By Ben Burke (Producer)

White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients announced a new policy on Monday that rolls back foreign travel restrictions into the United States. The video above shows White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki discussing the announcement at her daily press briefing

The new policy replaces travel restrictions first instituted by Former President Donald Trump and then tightened by President Joe Biden. Those travel restrictions affected non-citizens who have been in the United Kingdom, European Union, China, India, Iran, Republic of Ireland, Brazil and South Africa within 14 days of trying to travel into the U.S.

While those people will soon have the travel restrictions lifted, Zients also announced there will be a vaccine requirement, as well as, proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of flight.

The White House will also tighten testing rules for unvaccinated American citizens looking to return to the U.S. after traveling abroad. They will need to be tested within a day before their flight, as well as, after they arrive home.

According to Zients, fully vaccinated passengers will not be required to quarantine after getting back from traveling overseas.

However, Zients also said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will also require airlines to collect contact information from international travelers to facilitate contact tracing. Last year, the Trump administration blocked an effort to require airlines to collect contact tracing information after some senior administration officials cited privacy concerns.

The new policy will take effect in “early November” to allow airlines and travel partners time to prepare to implement the new protocols before lifting the travel restrictions. “This is based on individuals rather than a country based approach, so it’s a stronger system,” Zients said.

It was not immediately clear which vaccines would be acceptable under the new policy, including those not approve in the U.S. According to Zients, that decision would be up to the CDC.

Zients gave foreshadowing to the lifting of travel restrictions last week at a meeting with the the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. “The American people need to trust that the new system for international travel is safer even as we – I mean at that point – we’ll be letting in more travelers,” Zients said at the meeting.

Tags: Pandemic

Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary: “Starting in November, we will be implementing, I should say, in the in early November, we’ll be putting in place strict protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from passengers flying internationally into the United States by requiring that adult foreign nationals traveling to the United States be fully vaccinated. Obviously, this is the conclusion of a policy process on that particular issue, an important one facing many people around the world.”

“This was an ongoing process, as you all know, that we discussed pretty extensively here. CDC is going to issue a contact tracing order that will require airlines to collect comprehensive contact information for every passenger coming to the United States and to provide that information promptly to the CDC upon request to follow up with travelers who have been exposed to COVID-19 variants or other pathogens. And these requirements will apply globally.”