from Statista.com
— this post authored by Felix Richter
When the European Union reopens its borders to non-members on July 1, the United States may find itself on the list of countries excluded from the lifting of travel restrictions. According to a preliminary list of acceptable visitors obtained by the New York Times, the U.S. doesn’t meet the criteria applied by the bloc’s member states, which would also keep travelers from Russia and Brazil from entering the EU.
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According to the NYT, the preliminary list of countries deemed safe has been based on a combination of epidemiological criteria, for example the average number of new infections over the past 14 days. While that number stands at 16 per 100,000 people for the European Union, it’s much higher at 80, 107 and 190 for Russia, the United States and Brazil, respectively.
Earlier this month, the European Commission had recommended the gradual reopening of EU borders for external visitors on July 1, saying that “international travel is key for tourism and business, and for family and friends reconnecting. While we will all have to remain careful, the time has come to make concrete preparations for lifting restrictions with countries whose health situation is similar to the EU’s.”
The Commission advised member states to keep restrictions in place “for countries whose situation is worse than in the EU,” a criterium the U.S. sadly but doubtlessly meets at the moment. As the following chart, based on data from Johns Hopkins University, illustrates, the trend of daily new COVID-19 cases has taken completely different trajectories for the U.S. and the European Union. While the outbreak appears to be under control in the EU, the United States is currently facing a resurgence of new infections.
You will find more infographics at Statista.
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