Amid fears of new commitments in Europe and restrictions on curls on the continent, Covid infection rates in the US still exclude immediate hopes of lifting the EU ban on Americans.
As EU officials prepare to update the list of trips to countries, the United States, Brazil, Argentina or others are unlikely to be added to it, based on trends in coronaviruses.
Despite massive peaks in several countries, from Spain to France in recent weeks, the average covid outbreaks in the EU are still above the US median.
Viral epidemiology has the advantage of discovering the lifting of restrictions in non-European countries.
But in Covid’s shift we all face, the scenario doesn’t seem to be swinging in Americans’ favors in the coming weeks.
That’s why:
The stage in Europe and beyond is changing. Just as cases have increased in recent weeks in some countries, resulting in border closures and new restrictions, others show drastic declines.
Some others seem to think that Trump and the outcome of the U.S. election are weighing heavily on lifting the non-essential EU ban on U.S. residents. In fact, this is of great importance to a US-led resolution ending the ban on arrivals at Schengen.
But the EU is navigating its own with regard to restrictions and the opening of external borders to some low-risk countries.
So far, the list is very short and includes a small number of non-European countries. Currently in 10, the list has remained unchanged almost since the last revision on August 7.
With the update on hold, the number may continue to decline due to outbreaks in many countries.
Again, many African countries and several Asian countries marked in pale blue on the map above are now under EU titles and can simply be added. None of the existing list will be deleted.
Of course, after Covid infection rates, reciprocity is also key. That’s why China has still been officially added to the eusafe country list. This is the provisional eleventh of the existing list.
Nearly 3 months after President Trump hinted that the ban on EU visitors to the US could be lifted for those with a low number of cases, its blockade remains in place. Except for a few exceptions.
While cases in Europe have undergone a significant change in Covid since then, some countries justify lifting restrictions if they rely on infection rates and relative threats.
I have 3 decades of experience as a journalist, foreign correspondent and writer-photographer. Working for printing, virtual and radio on 4 continents,
I have 3 decades of experience as a journalist, foreign correspondent and travel writer-photographer. Working for print, virtual and radio media on 4 continents, I am also an experienced hotel journalist and writer of travel guides and cultural histories in Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Borneo. Deep on the road between my Parisian and Australian bases, I write for Forbes with a globetrotting attitude and a topicality in travel, culture, hospitality, art and architecture. My hobby is to capture the unique people, situations and occasions I encounter along the way, whether in words and images. I have a bachelor’s degree in professional writing from the University of Canberra, a master’s degree in European journalism from Robert Schuman University in Strasbourg and a member of the Society of Travel Writers of the United States. Love for my wild local island of Tasmania fuels my commitment to sustainable travel and conservation.