The US will admit fully vaccinated air travellers from the 26 so-called Schengen countries in Europe including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Greece, as well as Britain, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil. Airlines for America, an industry trade group, said that through late August, international air travel was down 43% from pre-pandemic levels. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday the policy was not timed for diplomacy. Airlines heavily lobbied the White House to lift the restrictions, and it has been working since August on the new plan. Zients said last Wednesday that given the rise of the Delta variant, it was not the right time to lift travel restrictions.

Source: Otago Daily Times September 20, 2021 22:52 UTC