Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said COVID-related travel restrictions should be lifted.
The WHO said that safety measures such as masking, testing, isolation/quarantine and vaccination "should be based on risk assessments to avoid placing an excess financial burden on international travelers."
Meanwhile, the CDC has updated travel advisories for over 40 destinations around the world in recent weeks, with numerous countries being added to the "Level 4: Do Not Travel" recommendation.
So, where do we go from here?
One prominent health agency essentially says open the world back up while another essentially says don't travel internationally at all. (How many US cities would be at a Level 4 if the CDC did that for domestic travel though?)
With the world still being in a pandemic, I don't think we'll be seeing all travel restrictions removed for now.
Personally, I don't have an issue with a country implementing vaccination or testing requirements given the current state we're in with this virus. I do think quarantines and travel bans are going too far and that those should be a thing of the past.
Six months from now my hope is that the world is fully reopened with zero travel restrictions.
The reality is that many destinations around the world will keep some rules in place for the foreseeable future. Europe was able to begin reopening to travel in the summer of 2021. Asia really hasn't been able to experience that. Once places like Japan and China and Singapore allow more tourists in, they're going to take a slower approach at first.
So, while the WHO says get rid of the travel restrictions, I still expect them to remain in several countries around the world throughout 2022.
Do you think all travel restrictions should be removed?
Let me know on Twitter and Instagram: @EricBowman_
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