The United States is included in the red list of sanctions in the European Union

Brussels. The European Union (EU) yesterday removed the United States from a list of countries whose citizens were allowed unrestricted non-essential travel to the bloc’s territory during the coronavirus pandemic, meaning that US visitors are likely And five other countries face stricter controls, such as COVID-19 testing and quarantines.

The Council of the European Union said in a statement that Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia and the United States have been removed from the list. The list attempts to unify travel rules across the bloc, although it does not bind individual EU countries, which are free to determine their own border policies.

Some EU countries, such as Germany and Belgium, already classify the United States as red, requiring testing and quarantine, while for neighboring France and the Netherlands, the United States as safe. has been classified.

“Non-essential travel to the EU from countries or entities not listed [en el listado aprobado] They are subject to temporary restrictions,” he said.

However, this is an EU recommendation and in a scenario of widespread concern about a rise in cases in European capitals, a certain number of arrivals of fully vaccinated travelers would be allowed.

“This list will continue to be reviewed from time to time and will eventually be updated,” said the European Union, which added the United States to the payroll on 16 June.

The EU’s safe list now includes 17 countries, including Canada, Japan and New Zealand. There are no countries in Latin America on the list.

Vaccines, in the supermarket

For their part, Belgian health officials began offering Covid-19 vaccines in supermarkets and shopping centers to boost vaccination rates in the capital Brussels, which have not kept up with the rapid deployment of vaccines in the country.

Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, has vaccinated only about 65% of its population, far less than the surrounding Belgian regions, mainly because people did not respond to requests to visit vaccination centres.

“We’re really trying to get the vaccine to as many people as possible,” said Inge Neeven, the crisis manager responsible for the COVID-19 response in Brussels.

“We’re selecting a range of areas that a lot of people go through and that’s why we really want them to be in their place, in their environment, where they work, where they go to school, where They live, and also try to vaccinate. They buy,” he explained.

Others are concerned that Belgium will follow neighboring France and require proof of vaccination to visit cinemas and cafes.

Belgium has recorded 25,360 deaths from the coronavirus, one of the highest per capita tolls in the world.