by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:10 AM ET, Fri July 16, 2021
United States President Joe Biden announced officials are working on a plan to lift the current restrictions in place barring non-citizens from visiting America.
According to Reuters.com, the topic was broached when Biden was speaking with German Chancellor Angela Merkel about allowing travelers from the majority of European countries to return to the U.S.
Biden told Merkel in private and at a press conference the U.S. was working behind the scenes to reassess when restrictions could be lifted, with the President expecting an answer "within the next several days."
"I'm waiting to hear from our folks in our COVID team as to when that should be done," Biden said.
Merkel and Biden spoke about the COVID-19 Delta variant and admitted the reopening process is very complicated, saying, "It has to be a sustainable decision. It is certainly not sensible to have to take it back after only a few days."
In recent months, airlines, travel advisors and tourism officials in America and abroad have continued to push Biden to lift restrictions covering most non-U.S. citizens Britain, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without border controls, Ireland and other countries.
On Friday, Canada will be prepared to host fully vaccinated travelers from the U.S. as early as mid-August, assuming that "the current positive path of vaccination rate and public health conditions continue," according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office.
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