International travellers have been shut out of the United States for almost 20 months now
A pedestrian walks past a line of Canadian travellers in their cars on the Rainbow Bridge between Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York. Pics/AFP
After 20 months of travel restrictions, the United States (US) is reopening its land and air borders to foreign visitors fully vaccinated against Covid-19 from Monday. The US is flinging its doors wide open to vaccinated international travellers, welcoming many visitors who’ve been shut out of the country for 20 months, reported CNN. The US is largely wide open, although there are some state and local restrictions that still apply. For example, there are mask mandates in Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Washington, DC and Puerto Rico also require masks in indoor spaces.
People wear facemasks upon entry into the US at the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry in San Ysidro, California, on November 7, a day before travel restrictions are lifted at the US-Mexico border
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In some cities, including New York and San Francisco, there are vaccine requirements for indoor public spaces including restaurants, reported CNN. Hawaii, which had some of the strictest entry requirements in the US, will now align with the new federal rules for international air travel. Although capacity restrictions in the state are easing, there are still some limits in place. Getting vaccinated is the key requirement for the vast majority of international travellers hoping to enter the United States, reported CNN. Children under 18 are exempt from the vaccination requirement. The CDC has the full slate of air travel requirements on its website.
Travellers must meet CDC criteria for being “fully vaccinated.” Paper and digital documentation are acceptable. Airlines are responsible for gathering and verifying this information from air travellers. Air travellers also need a negative Covid-19 test. Testing is required of all fully vaccinated air travellers aged two and up, regardless of nationality. Passengers are required to test negative for Covid-19 within three days of their flight’s departure for the United States. Unvaccinated Americans and a very limited number of unvaccinated international travellers exempted from the vaccination requirement must test within one day of departing for the US.
Cars queue up to cross the border at San Ysidro crossing port on the Mexico-US border in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico. Pic/AFP
B’desh to administer 120 mn doses by Jan
Bangladesh has so far administered 70 million Covid-19 vaccine doses and the figure would top 120 million by January next year if the current trend continues, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said. Bangladesh has purchased a total of 210 million doses of the vaccines, and at the moment there is no shortage of supply, Xinhua news agency reported citing the minister as saying.
Germany’s Covid rate hits high level
Germany’s Coronavirus infection rate climbed to its highest recorded level yet on Monday as the pandemic gathers pace. The national disease control centre, the Robert Koch Institute, said the country has seen 201.1 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days.
Africa’s Covid cases cross 8.52-mn mark
The number of confirmed Covid cases in Africa reached 8,527,394 on Monday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said. The Africa CDC, the specialised healthcare agency of the African Union, added that the death toll from the pandemic across the continent stands at 219,418.
Britain records over 30,000 fresh cases
Another 30,305 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 9,301,909, according to official figures. The country also reported 62 Covid-related deaths. The total Covid-related deaths in Britain now stands at 141,805. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.
83,142
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours
25,00,49,045
Total no. of cases worldwide
50,52,494
Total no. of deaths worldwide
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