The statement issued by the EU, however, stated that the guidance is a recommendation by the bloc and any decision on who to enter the countries that are part of the European Union, and what curbs to impose, ultimately remains for the respective governments to make.
The countries constituting the European Union (EU) voted to remove the United States from the Covid-19 safe travel list, and reimpose fresh restrictions on non-essential travel, amid the country witnessing an upward swing in the infection rates, news agencies reported on Monday.
According to a statement, a majority of ambassadors voted to reintroduce the curbs that were lifted in June this year. Apart from the US, five other nations that include Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, and North Macedonia were also removed from the EU’s safe-travel list.
The statement issued by the EU, however, stated that the guidance is a recommendation by the bloc and any decision on who to enter the countries that are part of the union, and what curbs to impose, ultimately remains for the respective governments to make. Furthermore, countries can also choose to accept proof of Covid-19 vaccination to waive travel curbs, the statement noted.
The decision comes even as airlines and travel firms have been insisting for a complete reopening of transatlantic routes. Also, shares of Air France-KLM, IAG SA and Deutsche Lufthansa AG came under pressure after the news of the bloc vote emerged.
According to the New York Times, the single-day average hospitalised Covid-19 patients in the US is more than 100,000 over the last week. The growing number of patients is straining hospitals and healthcare workers even as deaths have seen a hike of over 1,000 per day on average – for the first time since March this year.
Moreover, hospitalisations across the country have increased by nearly 500 per cent in the previous two months, with Florida currently having as many as 16,457 hospitalisations, followed by Texas, according to data from the US Department of Health and Human Services, the New York Times report added.
Since the emergence of the virus, the US has confirmed 38,524,389 Covid-19 cases and 631, 134 fatalities so far, as per the global bulletin maintained by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
