Coronavirus worldwide: USA does not ease travel restrictions for the time being, quarantine in Germany for returnees from Spain or the Netherlands

Spread the love

Read Time:3 Minute, 29 Second

About 194 million people have tested positive for the virus worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 4.1 million infected people have died. About 3.8 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.

USA

For the time being, the United States does not intend to lift the entry restrictions imposed on travelers from Europe and other countries because of the Corona pandemic. “Because of the Delta variant, we will maintain the existing travel restrictions at this point,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday (7/26). Because of the Delta variant, she said, Corona case rates would rise – especially among the unvaccinated. “And it seems likely that this will continue in the coming weeks,” Psaki added. The EU had already asked member states last month to gradually lift restrictions on travelers from the U.S. and several other countries. Germany had responded by allowing entries again from the U.S., among others, “for all permissible purposes of stay, including tourism.” The fact that the U.S. did not ease its restrictions on travelers from Europe in return drew criticism from the German business community, among others. As a rule, entry from the Schengen area to the USA is still only possible for foreigners with an exceptional permit.

Germany
Anyone arriving in Germany from Spain or the Netherlands who has neither recovered nor been vaccinated must be quarantined. Since midnight (27. 7.) Spain and the Netherlands are considered high incidence areas. With the decision on Friday (23. 7.), the German government had reacted to a significant increase in the number of infections in both countries. The quarantine lasts 10 days, but those who test negative after five days can shorten the period. The travel industry had criticized the federal government’s decision.

Tokyo Olympics
Fourteen more cases of infection have been detected at the Tokyo Olympics. Twelve Olympic security officials have turned in positive tests. A tennis player from the Netherlands and another athlete also turned in positive tests Tuesday morning (7/27).

Moderna vaccine
Moderna wants to expand its study of the effect of the Corona vaccine on children under 12. The company said it hopes to collect more safety data. It is suspected that mRNA vaccines could cause rare cardiac side effects. “The goal is to increase the safety database. This will increase the likelihood of detecting rarer events,” a Moderna spokeswoman said in a statement Monday (July 26). Study timelines would be reevaluated regularly, she said. Moderna anticipates approval for children younger than 12 years as of late 2021 or early 2022. The company is discussing the proposal for an expanded trial with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to the report.
After medical personnel, all city employees in New York will also have to either show proof of vaccination or get tested weekly starting in mid-September. This was announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday (26. 7.). The regulation, which goes into effect at the start of school, covers some 340,000 city employees, including police officers and teaching staff. All medical staff at veterans hospitals, on the other hand, are now subject to mandatory vaccination. Doctors, dentists, nurses and other medical employees have eight weeks to get vaccinated, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday. The order is the first mandatory vaccination by a major federal agency. The Veterans Affairs Department’s health care facilities employ about 367,000 people and are responsible for the care of more than nine million people, according to the agency. California is implementing similar regulations for all state employees. The U.S. Justice Department said vaccination requirements imposed by government agencies or private companies are legal.

France
In France, healthcare workers will be subject to mandatory Corona vaccination in the future. The parliament in Paris approved the corresponding plans of President Emmanuel Macron on Monday night (July 26). Affected are, for example, employees in hospitals and nursing homes. Despite nationwide protests, the deputies also approved the tightening of other rules. This means that in everyday life, people will now have to prove more frequently that they have tested negative or have been vaccinated, or that they have survived an illness.