Wednesday, April 7, 2021

New COVID-19 rules make international travel tougher.

Since COVID-19 was first recognized in December 2019, new variants of the virus are prompting governments around the world to enact stronger international travel restrictions. These new restrictions are further complication what had already become a nearly impossible feat. The consequences of these changes have been felt in nearly all corners of the world.

Global air traffic has been severely affected by many different factors, including the complex rules that must be followed by people who still need to travel overseas. In some instances, demand for international travel has plummeted nearly 90% according to agencies that track such data. Looking toward the future, even the most optimistic outlooks leave little to be positive about.

In the U.S., airlines who have to implement these rules have asked the goverment for temporary exemptions from the country's new policies. The U.S. government however has declined these requests, citing the need for a testing program that is as robust as possible to keep out new strains of the virus.

The U.S. State Department has urged its citizens to forgo international travel in case they are unable to obtain tests and medical care in other countries. For those people who are already overseas, the U.S. government warns that returing home will become increasingly difficult because of the impact of new strains of coronavirus.