The European Union proposed on August 30 that it would ban non-essential travel by Americans to member states, after the US continued to experience a fourth wave of the pandemic with more than 150,000 cases per day, in which some areas are seeing the highest number of Covid-19 patients hospitalized since the pandemic began.
While it’s not yet clear which countries will adopt the new recommendations, some already require unvaccinated travelers to quarantine. Even without quarantines, 88% of travel routes in Europe would still be restricted, according to recent data from Swiss bank UBS.
Currently, vaccination rates in many European countries have surpassed those in the US. Photo: France 24
Germany has listed the US as “high-risk areas” since mid-August, meaning travelers must undergo a 10-day quarantine, which can be shortened if they receive a negative Covid-19 result after five days.
France requires mandatory vaccination for train passengers and people participating in indoor and outdoor dining activities.
A Red Cross employee is tested for Covid-19 in Italy. - Photo: Antonio Balasco/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images
"Vaccinated travelers will be able to enter Europe. However, given the complex developments, planning ahead is extremely important," said Robert Cottey, an analyst at A2 Global Risk, an international security risk management company.
