Expectations before the end of the summer fade into the US-UK travel corridor
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Expectations that the US and the UK will agree to open an air corridor before the end of the summer are fast fading as a last resort increase in coronavirus cases The travel plans of millions of people in Britain are being hampered.
Officials who took part in discussions about a US-UK travel corridor that began last week said it would be increasingly difficult to reach some conclusions by the end of next month, as some had initially hoped.
Instead, in the case of the Delta variant of the UK, the complexities of the US political system and the uncertainty surrounding the vaccine status of AstraZeneca said the talks were extended in August as well as in September.
The slip in the US-UK air corridor agreement is the latest of a series of difficulties created by Britons planning to travel abroad this summer.
On Monday, Spain, Portugal, Malta and Hong Kong reported tighter restrictions About travelers entering from the UK.
London officials hoped they would have an outline of an agreement to reopen US-UK travel on July 4 for Independence Day celebrations. But the British government now believes it is impossible.
A UK official said in talks with the US about a corridor: “This is not going to happen any time soon. We thought it was July that we could get something done sooner, but now it looks like September.”
Another person familiar with the talks said the UK is pushing for an agreement rather than the US.
“The Biden administration is in no hurry. . . and the chances of anything happening before August seem to be low now, ”this person added.
Non-Americans have been banned from traveling from the UK to the US since the Covid-19 pandemic began last March, except when holders of a green card, a close relative of a U.S. citizen, or a special exception may apply.
The ban was imposed by then-US President Donald Trump, and reinstated by his successor, Joe Biden. The UK allows anyone from the United States to enter, even if they are required to be placed in quarantine for at least five days.
UK officials have been fighting for US counterparts to lift the restrictions.
They hoped they would be able to move forward after Biden this month he agreed to form A working group of U.S. and UK officials to study the best way to restart the trip.
The UK reported 22,868 new coronaviruses on Monday in the last 24 hours, the last level in January. With more than 60 percent of the adult population fully immersed, deaths are low.
It is more difficult to end a U.S.-UK travel corridor with what parts of the U.S. government can say about coronavirus-related travel rules, including the Department of Transportation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the State Department and the White House.
The situation with the Oxford / AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in the US makes it even more difficult. The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company has not yet applied for permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and, in doing so, is likely to apply for a full legal license instead of a temporary emergency permit, a process that can take several months. to complete.
U.S. officials have not said whether they intend to treat embedded and unincorporated passengers differently.
UK diplomats fear that doing so could lead to tougher cuts for Britons who have been hit by AstraZeneca than those who have received US-approved vaccines.
A UK diplomat said: “AstraZeneca is proving a real problem. If the US does not recognize it, millions of Britons will not have the right to travel if we agree on a new corridor.”
The White House said meetings about a US-UK travel corridor were “active and ongoing”.
A spokesman for the British government said the US-UK working group had been set up “to help restart travel between the UK and the US as soon as possible”.
“Discussions between the working group are ongoing as the UK and the US look forward to sharing their thoughts and experiences on international travel policy closely,” the spokesperson added. AstraZeneca does not want to comment.
Additional reports by Jim Pickard, Donato Paolo Mancini and Philip Georgiadis
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