Mubasher:  The US will reopen in November to air travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from 33 countries.

The White House’s decision on 20 September included foreign travellers from China, India, Brazil, and most of Europe, Reuters reported.

This move will relax the tough pandemic-related restrictions the US imposed last year, which barred visitors from most of the world.

The US did not give a specific start date for the new rules, while details of the new policy will still be decided.

In a separate announcement, the US extended its pandemic-related restrictions at land borders with Canada and Mexico.

Unvaccinated US citizens travelling from abroad will need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within a day of travel and proof of purchasing a viral test to be taken post-arrival.

Foreign nationals will need to present proof of vaccination before travel and will not be required to quarantine on arrival.

The final decision on what vaccines would be accepted will be up to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Exceptions, however, include children not yet eligible for shots. Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine against COVID-19 has been announced safe for kids at the age between five and 11 years.