The U.S plans to lift the travel ban on most European nations, and other countries including the UK, Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland and South Africa starting November 8, 2021. The FDA confirmed that people previously affected by the travel ban coming from these countries who have received the full dose of one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines will be allowed to enter the U.S. and no quarantines are needed upon arrival. However, testing negative for COVID-19 is still needed before traveling. The plan also includes an end to restrictions at Canadian and Mexican borders for fully vaccinated people, such as tourists, and foreign officials.
Previously the only people who can travel were citizens, green-card holders, and family. It was impossible for tourists to travel to the U.S., and this hurt the economy of people who relied on tourism for business. A 2021 tourism analysis by Tourism Economics reveals that travel spending totaled $679 billion in 2020, a 42% decrease from 2019. The state that suffered the most was Hawaii, who lost 60% of their revenue in 2020 compared to 2019. From the beginning of the pandemic starting in March to now, the U.S. is calculated to have lost $492 billion in tourism money.
Supporters of ban lift believe that as vaccines become more readily available globally, it's time to finally lift the ban for good. Studies have shown that as a travel ban slows the spread of virus to certain extends, it will inevitably cross the border because COVID-19 may travel via goods exported and during transportation and the unloading process, it may come in contact with humans and start spreading. Other methods such as face masks, hygenie and vaccinations are much more effective in preventing the spread of the virus.
Questions:
- Do you think the U.S. is ready for the travel ban to be lifted in November?
- What impact do you think the ban lift will have on the U.S?
- How do you feel about the end to self-quarantining after travel to the U.S, and do you think the new measures in place are enough?
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58911297
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58929441
https://www.statnews.com/2021/01/22/travel-bans-should-be-based-on-evidence-not-politics-or-fear/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/12/us/politics/us-canada-mexico-borders-open.html
https://www.ustravel.org/toolkit/covid-19-travel-industry-research
9 comments:
I believe that the majority of the US is ready for the travel ban to be lifted because the world has essentially been in lockdown for almost two years. If Covid, from the start of the pandemic till now, had been handled differently we would be more ready for the travel ban to lift and we probably would have been able to lift it much earlier. The lifting of the ban will bring the US economy up but the state of Covid in other countries is still something to consider. For example, my family in Ukraine didn’t have as easy access to vaccines as we do in America. Not only is there not as many opportunities to get one, there is a large issue surrounding counterfeit vaccines. I’m sure this is also an issue in many other countries. This article from forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2021/03/31/how-counterfeit-covid-19-vaccines-and-vaccination-cards-endanger-us-all/?sh=3379728e3649 shows how multiple vaccines that ended up in several countries were fake. Vaccine culture is also a big thing that varies from country to country. Many countries are not as educated about the vaccine (and even the actual covid disease) as America is. Overall there are benefits and downfalls to the lifting of the ban.
I believe that the US is ready for the travel ban lift because the restriction has been in place for so long already. It succeeded in keeping the public mostly safe over the course of the pandemic, but now as vaccinations are becoming more globalized, it is time to adjust to the changing circumstances. Plus, the guidelines for those who want to travel across the border include proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. Either of these is essential precautions to take to ensure global safety, but also allow for the freedom of travel. The ban has definitely disconnected families by distance, so I believe that lifting it will be a positive thing for the American public. I do believe the measures in place are enough considering the high vaccine rates at the moment.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/22/travel/us-international-travel-vaccine.html
I don’t think the US being ready for the travel ban is the barrier -- it’s how ready other countries are, like Gabby mentioned. I also have family in other countries so I am aware of how different the Covid situation is in other countries. For example, in Peru, vaccine rollout has been extremely slow, and as of right now, about half of the country is fully vaccinated (not accounting for more rural areas). While infection rates are much lower than they used to be, other countries are still dealing with rampant Covid infections in a way that we in the Bay Area aren’t really seeing as much anymore. There is the potential for Covid outbreaks occurring in the US due to an influx of tourists though, and we pretty much have to hope that measures such as mask-wearing are enforced in order to lessen the chance of more vaccine-resistant infections from spreading.
I think that it might be time to lift the travel ban on the US. A possible result of this may help to encourage more people to get the vaccine that are hesitant knowing that if you have it your are able to travel and stay safe. This in turn could help local economies of travel destinations to get back on their feet by providing a flow of money which previously had not been accessible to most businesses. A potential risk could be that as Gabby said earlier many people are getting fake vaccination cards and aren't protected so they will not just hurt themselves but others who are around them. Overall I think this could be a good thing to get the country going especially in places like Hawaii who depend on tourism for most of its profits.
Personally, I believe the US is almost ready to fully lift the travel ban. Although I do recognize the decline in the economy, the end of self-quarantining seems a little problematic. To expand on Gabby and Anthony’s point, vaccination rates are very different in other countries and fake vaccination cards are a problem to consider internationally. Especially considering the colder weather and how the ban is being lifted in the midst of the flu season, it seems as if it’s the wrong moment to fully lift the ban. Even though the flu season coincides with the holidays and many people are anxious to spend time with their families and go on vacation, it’s important to be mindful during peak times of illness. Especially if people are under the impression that their symptoms are “just the flu” and opt-out of taking a COVID test, this would serve to be problematic. Another point to consider is whether these individuals will self-quarantine between the time of their COVID-19 test and their departure. However, the restrictions before entering seem pretty reasonable. An article from the Intelligencer mentions how the CDC will require airlines to conduct contact tracing (https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/10/fully-vaccinated-travelers-can-visit-u-s-starting-november.html), Whether this proves to be successful or falls apart (passengers potentially not reporting if they’re sick), we’ll have to wait until these results pan out especially after the holidays. Overall though, the lift of the travel ban will hopefully set the economy back on track especially for touristy areas.
I agree with Crystal that the lack of quarantining does seem a little concerning, especially considering new variants and how they might spread across countries. However, the negative Covid test required does make this a little less worrying.
However, at a certain point, it is important to trust the vaccine to be effective, and hopefully this will allow the economy to bounce back with increased tourism. I also think that improving vaccination within our own country could help this to be safer as well. According to the most recent data, a little less than sixty percent of the U.S. population is vaccinated. Hopefully, as we prepare to vaccinate children under 12, and as more people get vaccinated, this will improve, and it will be safer for everyone to travel again.
The US is certainly ready for the travel ban to be lifted. As we've seen over the summer, travel demand has resurged at a record rate, at such a pace that airlines cannot meet the demand with the necessary supply so we've seen multiple shortages and heavy delays as a result of lack of personnel. Even business travel has also spiked back up as people return to the office. Vaccination rates are also increasing in the United States, which is helpful. However, we should be concerned about Americans picking up new variants, or getting the virus and bringing it back to the United States without showing any symptoms, especially from countries with low vaccination rates. No quarantines is especially concerning. Americans at the very least should have rapid testing when leaving and reentering the country to determine if everything is safe. I understand that the government is trying to stimulate tourism money, but they must do so safely and implement long-term solutions that won't lead to a new outbreak.
As others have mentioned in their comments, I think it's important to monitor the impact of this travel on COVID cases in a given city and then implement policies based on the trends observed. I think lifting the ban had to be done at one time or another and as we enter the holiday season, the incentive to get the COVID vaccine could be a difference to our vaccination numbers, a push we really need. However, with the magnitude of COVID, we really need to be careful and realize that no black and white conclusions can be made. Today the ban could be lifted, but in 2 months if people are dying we'll have to put it back on and we can't complain about not being able to sightsee when people's lives are at stake. Also, a negative COVID test is absolutely necessary and I don't understand why that policy was lifted because these tests are so widely accessible and are a small action that can go a long way to saving lives and preventing illnesses. Going into the holiday season, it'll be really interesting to see the COVID rates and vaccination rates and I hope we'll see promising trends.
I agree with Crystal that the US has made substantial efforts and has been for the most part successful in promoting Americans to get vaccinated. As a result, the country is on path to reopening and travel restrictions should be lifted soon. However, I would want to be cautious towards opening the borders for international travel because as others have said, other nations have less accessibility to vaccines and their vaccination rates vary. Additionally, one is still capable of contracting Covid-19, even if they're vaccinated. Thus I would be cautious with reopening for international travel and would conduct it in stages and emphasize the importance of getting vaccinated, taking tests, mask wearing, and other protocols to protect individuals from contracting the virus. If the government isn't cautious, there is potential to be another wave of Covid cases, which isn't worth the economic benefits of quickly reopening.
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