White House to require by November that foreign visitors to U.S. be vaccinated
Posted Sep 20, 2021 11:51:30 AM.
Last Updated Sep 20, 2021 11:55:06 AM.
WASHINGTON — The White House says that by early November, adult foreign nationals will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to travel to the United States.
The announcement is the first clear indication from the Biden administration that it is preparing to ease travel restrictions first imposed in March 2020, at the outset of the pandemic.
It is not clear how the new policy will specifically impact travel at the Canada-U.S. land border, where non-essential visitors remain prohibited from crossing.
The land border restrictions, which have been renewed on a monthly basis since they were first imposed 18 months ago, are set to expire Tuesday.
The White House has yet to provide details on which vaccines will be considered acceptable; the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot, widely used in Canada, has never been approved in the U.S.
White House spokesman Kevin Munoz confirmed the announced today on Twitter.
“Today, (the Biden administration) has announced that beginning in early November, the U.S. will require adult foreign nationals traveling to U.S. to be fully vaccinated,” Munoz tweeted.
“This is a strict measure aimed to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2021.
The Canadian Press
