The United States does not want to lift the entry restrictions imposed on travelers from Europe and other countries due to the corona pandemic for the time being.
"Because of the Delta variant, we will keep the existing travel restrictions at this point," said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Monday.
Because of the delta variant, the number of corona cases would increase - especially among the unvaccinated.
"And it seems likely that this will continue in the coming weeks," continued Psaki.
The EU had already asked the member states last month to gradually lift restrictions on travelers from the USA and several other countries.
Germany then allowed entries from the USA, among others, "for all permissible purposes of residence, including tourism".
Merkel had called for a sustainable decision
The fact that the USA did not loosen its restrictions on travelers from Europe in return caused criticism from, among others, the German economy.
Entry from the Schengen area to the USA is usually only possible for foreigners with a special permit.
The Biden government has always insisted that it will be guided by scientific evidence in its decisions in the pandemic.
When Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Washington in mid-July, many had hoped for movement on the subject. US President Joe Biden had announced in a joint press conference with Merkel that he would like to comment on the subject in the coming days. Merkel had stated that she had raised the subject at the meeting with Biden. The Chancellor emphasized that a sustainable decision must now be made that will not be withdrawn after a short period of time.
In order to protect themselves from the pandemic, in March 2020 all EU states except Ireland and the non-EU states Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland agreed on recommendations to largely stop non-mandatory entries from third countries - also for American. Biden's predecessor Donald Trump also ordered an entry ban for foreigners from large parts of Europe in March 2020. With a few exceptions, foreigners from the Schengen area, Great Britain and Ireland are currently not allowed to enter the USA. Foreigners from India, China, Brazil, South Africa and Iran are also generally banned from entering the USA.
Trump had already ordered an end to the entry ban from Europe in January - shortly before he left office. His successor Biden rejected the relaxation in the middle of the pandemic, so that Trump's decision did not come into force. At that time, the corona situation in the USA and in Europe was still dramatic. In the meantime, however, the situation has improved significantly in view of the ongoing vaccination campaigns on both sides of the Atlantic. Because of the delta variant, the number of cases is increasing again significantly both in the USA and in Europe.