The White House is set to announce on Monday that it will lift its travel ban on visitors from 33 different countries, including the UK and the European Union, if they are vaccinated, according to multiple media reports.
Any foreign nationals flying to or visiting the U.S. must be vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as test negative, beginning in early November.
The news comes as the 76 United Nations General Assembly gathers in New York this week, with more than 100 world leaders traveling to the U.S. to participate.
Currently, only American citizens or green card holders can enter the States if traveling from the UK or the EU. Some European countries have criticized the U.S. for maintaining those restrictions even for vaccinated travelers.
The lifted travel ban is potentially good news for film and TV productions looking to shoot overseas or at home. The news also comes as Anthony Fauci defended the FDA’s recent decision to not recommend booster shots against the coronavirus in the general population, though he said this decision is “not the end of the story.”
Last week, the seven-day average of COVID deaths in the U.S. passed 2,000 for the first time since February, rising 22% on average across the U.S.