International Pandemic Travel Restrictions
The closer we move towards summer, the bigger the question of travel hangs over the heads of millions. The pandemic has placed a halt on much travel for the past two years. Those who wanted to navigate the complicated pandemic requirements for travel were still able to fly to other countries, however, this was a costly and often difficult obstacle for most people to overcome. Now, countries are talking about reducing travel restrictions. What does this mean for travellers and what does this mean for the future of the pandemic?
The United Kingdom is of the countries that is doing away with most covid travel restrictions. Previously, there were requirements for pre- and post-travel covid testing. Many will remember at the beginning of the pandemic that these testing requirements accompanied mandated quarantine. It was big news, and quite controversial, when the United Kingdom did away with the quarantine. As of February 11th, however, the UK is doing away with all testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers. Non-fully vaccinated travellers will need a pre-travel test and a Day 2 PCR test, but no quarantine is required.
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, France, Greece, and Portugal are just a few of the countries that are also planning on opening back up to the world. Canada is struggling with the balance between pandemic safety and economic recovery and has received significant backlash for its stricter travel requirements. Canada still requires pre-departure and on-arrival PCR testing but is struggling with economic recovery. Many Canadian-based airlines that are having to cut flights have been vocal about reducing travel requirements. It is expected that Canada will announce changes to its requirements next week. Australia and New Zealand famously had very restrictive covid travel rules, but now Australia plans to open its borders to fully vaccinated international travellers from late February. Australia defines being fully vaccinated as having two doses of an approved vaccination and discussions of Australia reopening centre around the need to boost Australia’s travel industry. The Philippines reports a similar reason for removing the quarantine requirements for foreign travellers on February 10th - tourist markets had dropped nearly 83% last year. New Zealand, while also reporting plans to open up to fully vaccinated travellers, points to a need to “reunite families” and learn how to live with the virus.
EU members have expressed a need to coordinate travel rules in the future, especially for travel within the bloc. Some countries like Italy, Croatia, and Switzerland will make it more difficult for travellers to enjoy restaurants, museums, and indoor venues without the booster shot, while other EU countries like Norway are easing all restrictions except online registration for travellers. Those planning on traveling to EU countries and within the EU bloc will still need to do their research to understand the rules of each country they enter before they set foot in the country, as there is not yet a common set of rules.
The United States has allowed entry to those who are fully vaccinated and those that have recovered from a case of covid in the past 90 days. Those who are not vaccinated, even if they had covid in the past year, are not allowed to enter the US. All those who are allowed entry in the US must show a negative covid test before they fly. Fully vaccinated travellers need to take a test between two and five days on arrival but not those who have recovered from covid in the past 90 days.
These changes reflect countries’ explicit and implicit desires to rebuild their economies, reunite families, and prepare for the wave of tourists expected this summer. However, this does not mean that travel will go back to normal this summer. Airlines had to cut a significant amount of their staff due to the pandemic and cut many flights from their plans. The demand for flights is still lower than pre-pandemic averages and airlines are struggling to adjust. They also need to manage the flights that were postponed last year and in 2020. Additionally, these airlines are struggling with recruiting new people back to the tourist industry. Travellers should expect delays and slowed services due to labour shortages and a rise in new recruits.
On the other hand, the new changes in covid travel restrictions may reflect a greater understanding of a need to learn to live with the virus, as leadership in New Zealand has expressed. The world is looking for a way to move past this pandemic whilst still taking proper measures to protect their populations. As the pandemic does not seem to have an end in sight, it makes sense for countries to seek a way to live with it.
However, in the UK there is concern on whether alleviating the requirements for travel is too early. Some suggest that Boris Johnson has pushed the early erasure of covid travel requirements in an effort to appease his political supporters. Many are concerned that the decision is being made for political reasons without concern for public health.
The future of the pandemic for many will require learning to live with the virus in everyday life. The world populous will have to learn how to go about their business despite the virus, and staying up to date with vaccinations will be essential in maintaining public health. While travellers will eventually increase in numbers, travel may still look different for the foreseeable future. These announcements from countries across the world reflect the interest in returning to a pre-pandemic state, but it will be a long time until we know how this new world will look.
Image courtesy of Qwerty325 ©2021, some rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the wider St. Andrews Foreign Affairs Review team.
