US lifting travel ban for foreign visitors fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in November – White House official

White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz confirmed on Friday that “the US’ new travel policy that requires vaccination for foreign national travelers to the United States will begin on Nov 8.”

In a Twitter post, Munoz said that “this announcement and date applies both to international air and land travel,” and that the move is guided by public health recommendations.

Last month, the White House said that it would lift restrictions on air travelers from over 30 countries, including China, India, Iran, and most of Europe from early November, but it stopped short of providing a precise date.

On Tuesday, US officials said the country would lift movement restrictions at its land borders and ferry crossings with Canada and Mexico for those fully-vaccinated.

Covid-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) which are not used or authorized in the US will be recognized as a valid form of inoculation, giving the greenlight for the UK-developed AstraZeneca, as well as China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac.

However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO have stalled on giving Russia’s Sputnik V the seal of approval, despite it already being administered in scores of countries.

Canada reopened its land border with the US in early August to fully-vaccinated Americans with a negative Covid test for non-essential travel. The lack of reciprocity from its neighbor, however, drew complaints from Canadian officials.

The ban on a large number of non-US citizens entering America has been enforced for over 18 months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Former President Donald Trump first imposed bans on air travelers from China in early 2020, and then extended this restriction to much of Europe.

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