Washington: Foreign travellers, who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, will be able to enter the US from November 8, the White House said on Friday.
Kevin Munoz, White House Press Secretary, said that this announcement applies to both international air travel and land travel.
“This policy is guided by public health, stringent, and consistent,” he further wrote in a tweet.
According to CNN, the step is expected to relax a number of bans that began to create problems for international travellers.
A White House official told CNN that further guidance on “very limited exceptions” to the requirements, along with what COVID-19 vaccines will be accepted and other operational details in advance of the November 8 date.
“Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has already informed airlines that all FDA approved and authorized vaccines, as well as all vaccines that have an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) from the WHO will be accepted for air travel. We anticipate the same will be true at the land border,” the official said.
The same rules will also apply to non-essential travel at the American land borders and to visitors who arrive in the US by passenger ferry, reported CNN.
“These travellers are required to be prepared to attest to vaccination status and to present proof of vaccination to a CBP officer upon request,” the official said, adding, “By January, foreign nationals travelling across the land border for both essential and non-essential reasons will be required to be fully vaccinated.”