Most foreign air travelers will soon be allowed entry into the US as long as they’re fully vaccinated against Covid-19. There is an added testing requirement for unvaccinated Americans and barring entry for foreigners who haven’t gotten shots.
The measures, announced Monday by the White House, are the most sweeping change to U.S. travel policies in months, and widen the gap in rules between vaccinated people — who will see measures relaxed — and the unvaccinated.
The move will open the U.S. to millions of vaccinated people. The White House is viewing the measure as a crackdown, pointing to stricter testing rules and a new contact tracing regime. The new policy will take effect in “early November,” according to the White House.
“We know vaccines are effective, including against the delta variant, and vaccines are the best line of defense against Covid, so this vaccination requirement deploys the best tool we have in our arsenal to keep people safe and prevent the spread of the virus,” White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters on Monday.
