USA Covid restrictions set to remain in major blow for transatlantic travel

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Tough travel restrictions will be maintained by the USA government on visitors from the UK because of the spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: “Driven by the Delta variant, cases are rising here at home, particularly among those who are unvaccinated and appear likely continue to increase in the weeks ahead.”

She added that the US “will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point”.

The USA is a popular destination for UK holidaymakers visiting theme parks in Florida, shopping trips in New York or holidays further afield in states such as California.

The announcement came despite intense lobbying by airlines in a bid to reopen transatlantic routes this summer causing a devastating blow to UK families hoping to holiday in the USA.

The USA currently bans most non-US citizens who within the last 14 days have been in the UK, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without internal border controls, or in Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil.

Boris Johnson’s government is expected to agree to plans in the coming days for US citizens arriving in the UK to produce cars they were handed when they were jabbed as proof of vaccination.

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The move is part of a plan to kickstart transatlantic travel because the USA has yet to develop a consistently used digital form of proof for vaccinations.

It follows claims from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that said the highly-contagious Delta variant now accounts for 80 per cent of all US cases.

Vaccination rates have slowed in the US since peaking in the spring. US officials say nearly all new cases are appearing in those who are unvaccinated, and have begun referring to Covid as a “pandemic of the unvaccinated”.

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