EU could block US travelers due to coronavirus once reopening begins

If you have plans to visit Europe once travel suspensions are lifted, you may be in for a surprise.

The European Union countries are considering blocking travelers from the U.S. because the country has not been able to stop the spread of COVID-19, The New York Times reported.

America has more than 2.3 million cases with more than 121,000 deaths.

Brazil with its 1.1 million cases and Russia’s 606,000 cases are the closest in comparison for the number of cases. People from both of those countries already are banned from traveling to EU countries.

EU leaders are debating which countries residents are allowed to enter the union. The lists of approved countries include China, Uganda, Cuba and Vietnam, the Times reported.

Officials said the criteria on whom to allow and whom to bar was made using scientific and nonpolitical means, including how many new infections have developed per 100,000 people over the past 14 days.

Officials said they’re debating on keeping travelers from areas “where the virus is circulating most actively,” CNN reported.

Currently, travelers from all over the world are barred from entering EU countries unless it is for essential travel. The ban has been in place since mid-March. But the measure that bans most countries’ residents from traveling to the area will be lifted July 1, CNN reported.

The ban on who can go where isn’t new. President Donald Trump banned the entry of most people from the European Union before coronavirus cases started to spike in the US, angering European leaders, the Times reported.

The State Department, when asked by CNN about the potential travel ban, said, “We are committed to coordinating with our European partners and allies as we look forward to reopening our economies and easing restrictions. We continue to urge US citizens to check the websites of the relevant US embassy or consulate websites for information on entry restrictions, foreign quarantine policies, and urgent health information provided by local governments.”

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Cox Media Group