US missing on EU reopening list

European diplomats are poised to approve an agreement on which foreign travellers they want to welcome starting on July 1, as the European Union reopens its external borders for the first time since March. But with the coronavirus still raging in the United States, the possibility of allowing American tourists hasn’t even figured in the discussion, according to six diplomats familiar with the talks.

Europe’s draft in-and-out list reflects its assessment of how well other countries have managed to control their outbreaks. EU countries were among the world’s hardest hit by the pandemic, but most now have the virus under control and have been willing to consider opening their borders to other countries where Covid-19 is similarly in check.

China is among the 15 countries set to make the cut, despite EU scepticism about how transparent it has been about its outbreak. Visitors from China would be allowed to enter Europe only if Beijing drops measures against EU travellers.

Also expected to be approved: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia,

Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.

The list is subject to final approval this weekend, but diplomats said it was unlikely to change. The rest of the world would continue to be kept out for non-essential travel.

The decision underscores the perception in Brussels that the United States has failed in its coronavirus response. European leaders and health experts have watched with unease as many US states insist on reopening, even as infections spike in many parts of the country.

EU members have seen clusters of infections since they began relaxing their own restrictions. Germany, Spain and Portugal are among those that have reimposed localised lockdowns. But for the bloc as a whole, diagnoses have slowed to 16 cases per 100,000 population over the past two weeks, the main measure Europe is using to determine whether countries make the cut.

The United States, by contrast, stands at 122 cases per 100,000 population and is getting worse. Florida has set records for the past 19 days in a row.

Washington Post

European leaders and health experts have watched with unease as many US states insist on reopening, even as infections spike in many parts of the country.