U.S. Vacationers Face Restrictions in Europe Again
Greetings, folks! This week, the European Union announced that it would remove the United States from its safe list and advise its 27 member states to reconsider the necessity of admitting unnecessary American tourists.
Many popular tourist destinations welcomed essential U.S. travelers in the beginning of the year, but most have chosen to disregard the EU's non-binding recommendations. Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden were the first countries to implement the new regulations.
The Dutch government stated that the United States, along with Israel, Kosovo, Libanon, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, will be labeled as "high-risk areas" starting on September 4, according to their official site.
Tourists from high-risk countries can still enter after being vaccinated, but they will be required to self-isolate for 10 days. From September 6, they must also produce a negative COVID-19 test result.
Sweden, which previously exempted U.S. visitors from an almost complete entry ban for almost all non-EU visitors, has now removed the United States from its exempt list.
Here's another twist: The tourism industry has been hit hard by the epidemic.
Sweden will allow vaccinated individuals from specific regions to enter, but a decision on this matter will be made later, according to a press release.
Italy, one of the first European countries to open its borders especially at the beginning of the year, has also implemented new measures that affect arrivals from all tourist destinations, including the United States.
Since August 31, all visitors must present a COVID-19 PCR or antigen test result conducted within 72 hours of their arrival, regardless of vaccination status.
Italy's Health Ministry announced that unvaccinated travelers or those without proof of COVID-19 recovery must undergo a five-day quarantine and a swab test upon arrival.
It's unclear whether other European countries, many of which rely on U.S. tourists to revive their pandemic-ravaged tourism industries, will adopt similar measures.
Interestingly, the United States recorded a significant increase in COVID-19 cases in July and September, with many new cases attributed to the Delta variant.
Top Picture Credit: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
Livia Borghese and Nada Bashir contributed to this story.
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