APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association), the international airline association, demanded today that the United States immediately end its blockade of vaccinated international travelers from Europe. This follows the Biden administration indicating two weeks ago that such a consideration was underway, but an urgent deadline now looms. APEX states that the US must now reciprocate before Europe's doors are closed to vaccinated Americans, as hinted at last week by the European Commission President.
Without any vaccination requirement, foreign nationals from 160 countries may enter the US after COVID-19 testing or with 90-day proof of COVID-19 recovery. In stark contrast, vaccinated and tested foreign nationals from European nations are banned from flying into the United States without extraordinary special exceptions. A European national may fly to a nation with much higher COVID-19 infection rates, wait for 14 days, and then enter the United States after testing. The current U.S. approach defies the scientific logic touted by the administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization, says APEX.
"Vaccinated airline passengers from Europe now come universally from countries with lower per-capita COVID-19 than the United States. These vaccinated and COVID-19 negative tested passengers have been needlessly being turned away by the United States for far too long," APEX CEO Dr. Joe Leader stated. "These policies were initially put in place to protect the United States in a world with variants that had not reached our shores for a nation without sufficient vaccines. Now, the United States has hit its stated target of over 70% of adults vaccinated with their first shot. Americans are welcome to more and more countries worldwide. The United States must reciprocate immediately by reopening its borders to Europe."
In a letter to President Biden, APEX cited that refusing entry to fully vaccinated travelers goes directly against Centers for Disease Control guidance, which states: "People who are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine or a vaccine authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization can travel safely within the United States."
As APEX CEO Dr. Joe Leader stated in the letter to President Biden, "With our country having reached over 70% of adults vaccinated, we know that welcoming fully vaccinated individuals from Europe that are additionally tested prior to entry only strengthens your administration's message: vaccination provides all of us more freedom."
"The United States continues to stand as a beacon of hope and freedom around the world. That includes a vibrant domestic air travel market that has rebounded to fully recover from the effects of COVID-19," Leader added. "In our 42-year history, APEX successfully advocated for passengers and encouraged the reversal of a Presidential policy only once before, when a passengers electronics ban occurred in 2017. We call upon President Biden to immediately modify the Section 212(f) acts to allow the lawful entry of property vaccinated and COVID-19 tested foreign nationals from Europe.
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