EU reinstates travel restrictions from US, Israel among others

Brussels, Aug 30 (EFE).- The European Union reinstated Monday Covid-19 related travel restrictions from the United States and Israel, halting any non-essential travel to the EU.

In June 2020, the European Council adopted a recommendation of a list of countries for which travel restrictions could be gradually lifted on non-essential travel to the EU.

The US and Israel had been temporarily added to the list, but after a spike in infections driven by the highly contagious Delta variant in recent weeks, have been removed from the list.

Other nations removed from the list of countries include Lebanon, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo.

The European Council recommendation is not a legally binding instrument but member states should not lift travel restrictions from these countries without a coordinated decision with Brussels.

“This is without prejudice to the possibility for member states to lift the temporary restriction on non-essential travel to the EU for fully vaccinated travellers,” the Council said in a statement.

The recommended list is reviewed and updated regularly according to the epidemiological situation in countries.

It is up to member states to impose a quarantine for travelers from countries on the list. EFE

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