American Travel Rules Discriminate Against Europeans
Entry to the U.S. requires more proof of vaccination than should be necessary, while unvaccinated people are free to fly anywhere within the country.
Foreign travelers must comply with America’s odd vaccination standards.
Photographer: Win McNamee/Getty ImagesAmerica’s international travel rules still seem prejudiced against Europeans.
The U.S. is set to reopen its borders on Nov. 8 to vaccinated foreign nationals from Europe, ending a ban that had dragged on far too long (more than 18 months) and looked increasingly arbitrary. No similar U.S. blockade applied to foreign arrivals from certain Caribbean countries or Argentina, despite higher case counts in the former at times and slower vaccination progress in the latter. And the U.S. kept its restrictions in place over the summer even as Europe allowed entry to Americans. So there was a collective sigh of relief from separated families and airlines when the U.S. finally seemed willing to let science guide its Covid-19 travel rules. International demand for Delta Air Lines Inc. flights to America jumped tenfold on the news that the U.S. would ease up.