The Biden administration is developing a plan to require nearly all foreign visitors to the United States to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The move would be part of eventually lifting travel restrictions that bar much of the world from entering the United States, a White House official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The White House is not ready to immediately lift travel restrictions because of the rising COVID-19 case load, the official said.
President Joe Biden 's administration is developing a plan that would require foreign visitors to show proof of vaccination Reuters first reported Wednesday
Foreign visitors will have to show proof of vaccination to enter the U.S. if the plan goes through. A plane is seen taking off at Los Angeles International Airport
The US border remains closed to 26 European countries, the UK, Iran, China, South Africa, Brazil and India because of COVID-19 concerns. Some of the border bans have not been updated since they were put in place back in March 2020 when the pandemic first took hold
There have been worldwide concerns about the more contagious Delta variant of the virus.
The Biden administration has interagency working groups working 'in order to have a new system ready for when we can reopen travel,' the official said.
The source added it includes 'a phased approach that over time will mean, with limited exceptions, that foreign nationals traveling to the United States [from all countries] need to be fully vaccinated.'
The White House has been asked frequently when travel restrictions might be lifted.
On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked why unvaccinated individuals from other parts of the world were allowed to travel into the U.S., but vaccinated individuals from Europe and other banned countries weren't let in.
'I would certainly point you to our health and medical teams who make these decisions and evaluate what we need to do, from a public health perspective, to keep the American people safe at a time where the Delta variant is rising, and one where we are very cognizant about keeping the American people safe,' Psaki replied.
During her visit to the White House last month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel articulated one sticking point: that countries don't want to have to close down travel again once it's initially opened.
'And obviously before such a decision, one has to reflect, and it has to be a sustainable decision,' Merkel said then. 'It is certainly not sensible to have to take it back after only a few days, so I have every confidence in the American COVID team.'
Currently, non U.S.-citizens aren't allowed into the country from China, Iran, most of Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, South African and India.
Some of the border bans - such as the ones imposed on the EU, UK and China - have not been updated since they were put in place back in March 2020 when the pandemic first took hold.
Biden has been facing mounting pressure to lift the ban - including from travel industry groups and lawmakers in his own party.
On Monday the United Kingdom announced that fully vaccinated travelers from the U.S. and the European Union would be allowed back into the country without quarantining for 10 days.
The EU reopened its borders to American tourists in June.
The Biden administration has shied away from creating any sort of vaccine passport for Americans.
Instead the White House has pushed local authorities and businesses to mandate vaccines for their work forces and customers.
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