The European Council revised its non-binding guidance on 30 August 2021, taking the US and Israel off its list of countries “for which travel restrictions should be lifted” due to the Delta variant. Photo: Novikov Aleksey / Shutterstock

The European Council revised its non-binding guidance on 30 August 2021, taking the US and Israel off its list of countries “for which travel restrictions should be lifted” due to the Delta variant. Photo: Novikov Aleksey / Shutterstock

The EU has recommended reinstating travel restrictions on six countries where covid-19 infections have been rising.

The European Council has removed the US and five other jurisdictions from its advisory list of safe countries for non-essential travel into the EU.

The list is based on an analysis of “the epidemiological situation and overall response to covid-19, as well as the reliability of the available information and data sources,” the council on Monday. “Reciprocity should also be taken into account on a case by case basis.”

The EU eased restrictions on US travel in June, but Washington did not reciprocate. European officials are also concerned about the rising number of Delta variant infections in America, Reuters.

Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and North Macedonia were also taken off the list.

Countries and territories still on the safe list include Albania, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Qatar, Singapore and South Korea. China, including the Hong Kong and Macao administrative regions, are provisionally on the list, “subject to confirmation of reciprocity”.

The European Council’s recommendations are not legally binding. EU member states have the final decision-making authority.

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