GENEVA: The International Air Transport Association (THERE IT IS) has welcomed the decision of the Biden government to give vaccinated travelers entry to the US with a negative Covid-19 Test result before travel from the beginning of November.
It is important, said the IATA, that this is the so-called 212f. replaced limitations which prevented anyone from entering the United States if they had been in 33 specific countries in the past 14 days – including the UK, Ireland, all Schengen countries, Brazil, South Africa, India and China.
IATA Director General Willie Walsh said the announcement was a big step forward. “Providing vaccinated people with access to the United States will allow travel to many who have been locked out for the past 18 months. This is excellent news for families and loved ones who have suffered the grief and loneliness of separation,” he said .
“It’s good for the millions of people who make a living from global tourism in the United States. And it will fuel economic recovery by enabling some key business travel markets, ”said Walsh.
IATA said the announcement represents an important shift in managing the risks of Covid-19 from sweeping national considerations to assessing individual risk. The next challenge is to find a system to deal with the risks for travelers without Manage access to vaccinations.
Data suggests testing is the solution. However, it is also critical that governments accelerate vaccine rollout around the world and agree on a global framework for travel with testing resources focused on unvaccinated travelers, IATA said.
“We need to return to a situation where freedom of movement is available to all,” said Walsh.
