President Joe Biden said earlier in July that the White House was “in the process” of determining when the U.S. could lift the restrictions, which prohibit European travel to the U.S., the Associated Press reported.
However, the administration decided to prioritize curtailing rising cases in the country rather than allowing international travel to the U.S., the official said.
For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised Americans against travel to the United Kingdom this past Monday, given a surge in cases there.
Most of continental Europe has relaxed restrictions on Americans who are fully vaccinated, although the United Kingdom still requires quarantines for most visitors arriving from the U.S. Airlines say, however, that the lack of two-way travel is limiting the number of flights they can offer and seats they can sell.
But the rise and prevalence of COVID-19 variants in Europe, especially the Delta variant that is also spreading throughout the U.S., has caused the Biden administration to tread slowly about increasing transatlantic travel.
Update 7/26/21- 11:18 AM - This story has been updated with additional information.
