Last month it was disclosed that President Joe Biden’s administration would ease travel restrictions into the United States from international destinations beginning in November. Today, the President signed those eased restrictions into law officially, which will go into effect starting November 8th.

According to Reuters, the new restrictions will lift the individual country bans imposed on China, India, and most of Europe imposed by the Trump administration last year at the pandemic’s outset. Additionally, international travelers must show proof of vaccination for COVID-19, with all vaccines authorized for use by U.S. regulators or the World Health Organization accepted. Mixed-dose vaccines will also be acceptable. Exemptions are available for travelers under 18, those with health conditions that preclude vaccination, and non-tourist travelers from around 50 countries with vaccination rates of less than 10%. In principle, those remaining in the country for more than 60 days will be encouraged to get vaccinated in the United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will also issue new guidelines to airlines requiring increased contact tracing methods, requiring airlines to collect information necessary to contact passengers about possible exposure to COVID-19 or other pathogens.

The current requirement for all travelers to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours will remain in place. Unvaccinated travelers with exemptions will be required to show proof of a negative test within 24 hours.

President Biden said today “It is in the interests of the United States to move away from the country-by-country restrictions previously applied during the COVID-19 pandemic and to adopt an air travel policy that relies primarily on vaccination to advance the safe resumption of international air travel to the United States.”

Stay tuned to WDWNT as this story develops.

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Spencer Lloyd