BRUSSELS: While the European Union (EU) is planning to restart its economy and reopen its borders to international travelers, Americans will be barred from travelling to any country in the European Union. This is a huge dent in the prestige of Americans. The EU has supposedly taken such a decision citing inability of the US Government in controlling the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. Along with Americans, EU also plans to ban entry to Russians and Brazilians, among people from other nations who are still witnessing a rise in the Covid-19 cases.
European nations are currently struggling to finalise one of the two lists of potential countries whose residents will be allowed entry into the EU. Both the lists include China and a number of developing nations like Uganda, Cuba and Vietnam, all of which were successful in controlling coronavirus. Since the start of the pandemic, travelers from the US have been barred entry, except repatriations or “essential travel”. A final decision on the opening of international borders of the EU is expected to be declared before July 1.
Prohibiting American travelers from entering the European Union would have significant economic, cultural and geopolitical ramifications. Millions of American tourists visit Europe every summer. Business travel is common, given the huge economic ties between the United States and the E.U.
Despite the disruptions caused by such a ban, European officials involved in the talks said it was highly unlikely an exception would be made for the United States. They said that the criteria for creating the list of acceptable countries had been deliberately kept as scientific and nonpolitical as possible.
Stating that the list will be updated every two weeks based on updated data on virus spread across the world, officials said that United States may be added to the list later on.