EU to Reopen to Vaccinated Travelers by the weekend

[SelectSys]

37 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

China hasn't been completely transparent about their vaccines

Transparency isn't really a CCP strong suit.

37 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

Plus I could see a backlash from crew about having to be re vaccinated just because the USA does not recognise their vaccination. 

I believe it isn't just a US thing.  Regardless, I would expect that most crew being young and from middle and lower income countries they will likely not have had the opportunity to be vaccinated in countries like the US.  Even a YouTuber from the UK that works on a cruise ship expects to be vaccinated in the US onboard before he is eligible at home.

 

BTW - Why should any country accept a vaccine with poor field performance like those from China?  Cases are still going up in Chile which is the Chinese vaccine test case and even the Chinese medical authorities now admit they aren't very good.

Edited May 21, 2021 by SelectSys

[crazyank]

6 hours ago, Hlitner said:

After looking at the details of what has been approved by the European Commission I will walk back my topic heading that come countries will open up by this weekend.  While that is still possible, it is more likely there will be some delay (probably measured in a low number of weeks) while multiple EU countries try to negotiate reciprocal travel agreements with other countries (including the USA).   The other issue for any tourist is that if they are permitted to travel to a particular country, will there be enough tourist-related things open?  

 

Hank 

Announced last night on german news:  The actual rollout is planned for the end of June.

[Hlitner]

7 hours ago, crazyank said:

Announced last night on german news:  The actual rollout is planned for the end of June.

Makes sense.  It will be interesting to see if Germany can negotiate a deal with our CDC that allows German's (and even other Europeans) to fly to the USA without first having a negative Antigen test.  Our CDC backed themselves into a corner with the test requirement since they effectively make the case that they do not believe their own statement (fully vaccinated folks are safe from COVID) or trust their own CDC vaccination form.

 

I would not be surprised to see some other countries, such as Italy, move to reopen on an even faster time frame.  Other countries could follow Greece's lead and simply drop their restrictions without wasting time trying to negotiate with other governments.

 

Hank

[crazyank]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Makes sense.  It will be interesting to see if Germany can negotiate a deal with our CDC that allows German's (and even other Europeans) to fly to the USA without first having a negative Antigen test.  Our CDC backed themselves into a corner with the test requirement since they effectively make the case that they do not believe their own statement (fully vaccinated folks are safe from COVID) or trust their own CDC vaccination form.

 

I would not be surprised to see some other countries, such as Italy, move to reopen on an even faster time frame.  Other countries could follow Greece's lead and simply drop their restrictions without wasting time trying to negotiate with other governments.

 

Hank

The problem is not the American CDC,  the problem is the travel ban Executive order signed by Trump.

Unless Biden reverses that order traveling to the USA from Europe will be banned until the order expires, if it does.

Also, Germany is not negotiating with the American CDC. The EU government is currently trying to work an agreement that if US citizens can travel to Europe then the reverse would be true. Fingers crossed that they can get the USA to agree.

Edited May 21, 2021 by crazyank

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, crazyank said:

The problem is not the American CDC,  the problem is the travel ban Executive order signed by Trump.

Unless Biden reverses that order traveling to the USA from Europe will be banned until the order expires, if it does.

Also, Germany is not negotiating with the American CDC. The EU government is currently trying to work an agreement that if US citizens can travel to Europe then the reverse would be true. Fingers crossed that they can get the USA to agree.

Yeah, that travel ban still exists.  But it has little to do with President Trump who did issue the original ban.  But prior to leaving office in Jan 2021, Trump signed an order rescinding the ban on Jan 26,2021, which meant it would have been effective after he left office.  On January 25, 2021, Joe Biden (who had only been President for 5 days) specifically banned entry to folks from the Schengen Countries, UK, and some others.  There is still this tendency of some to blame Trump for things that have been done by Biden but the current ban on most Europeans flying to the USA are on Joe.

Proclamation on the Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Non-Immigrants of Certain Additional Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting Coronavirus Disease | The White House

 

 

When will that order be modified or revised?   Who knows.  The White House would tell you that they "follow the science" and also the advice of the CDC, but neither seems to be the case as both science and the CDC say that fully vaccinated folks are not a risk (although there is always going to be some small degree of risk). 

 

So why the continued ban?  If Trump were still president the Democrats and Biden would simply be calling Trump a Xenophobe.   So perhaps that label should now apply to Biden.   And also consider that back in March 2020 Joe Biden tweeted, "Banning all travel from Europe — or any other part of the world — will not stop” the coronavirus.   And then he banned such travel during his first week in office?  You cannot make this stuff up!

 

I do recall reading that the EU Commission is leaving the reciprocity issue to each country (although that does not preclude the EU from trying to work something out on behalf of all their member countries).  

 

Hank

 

[crazyank]

12 hours ago, Hlitner said:

But prior to leaving office in Jan 2021, Trump signed an order rescinding the ban on Jan 26,2021, which meant it would have been effective after he left office.  On January 25, 2021, Joe Biden (who had only been President for 5 days) specifically banned entry to folks from the Schengen Countries, UK, and some others.  There is still this tendency of some to blame Trump for things that have been done by Biden but the current ban on most Europeans flying to the USA are on Joe.

I didn't know that,  learn something new everyday.  Thanks

[BVILady]

I am actually shocked I had not been aware that there still had been a travel ban in the US for EU-citizens, maybe all my acquaintances transiting through the US were also holding US-passports.