The European Council is recommending that EU nations next
month lift all testing and quarantine requirements for people who received
vaccines authorized in the EU or approved by the World Health Organization.
Individuals who received the last dose of their primary
vaccination series at least 14 days and no more than 270 days before arrival,
or who have received a booster dose, would be eligible along with those who
recovered from COVID-19 within 180 days of travel.
The EU’s executive commission welcomed the non-binding
guidance, which also makes clear that no test or additional requirements should
be applied to children under 6 who are traveling with an adult.
“The updates will further facilitate travel from outside the
EU into the EU, and take into account the evolution of the pandemic, the
increasing vaccination uptake worldwide and the administration of booster
doses,” the European Commission said.
Travelers who received vaccines that were approved by WHO
but are not authorized for use in the EU may still be asked to present a
negative PCR test or to quarantine, the European Council said.
So far, the EU has authorized the COVID-19 vaccines
developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and
Novavax. -AP