OBSOLETE COVID THREAD Americans allowed in EU this summer

CWBuff said:

Well... Summer is sort of 'too far' for my plans (although if technically I was aiming to start last week of May - it somewhat could've worked).... I have firmly resolved that I cannot play this emotional game of "maybe yes maybe no)
Much as it saddens me - after 2 years of preparations and hoping and waiting... and Wishin' and thinkin' and prayin' (or something like that ) I have officially pushed it for another year

Here is to goodbye of my old countdown
View attachment 98767

and the new one was properly edited in my signature

May we ALL be BLESSED with fully putting this horrible petulance behind us by then (if not earlier of course)!

Click to expand...

Well said. My wife and I have been on the same rollercoaster for the past year. We were originally set to depart for Porto early May of last year. We don't want to begin our Camino, and the rest of our extended stay, only to be stopped mid step by regional closures. We also don't want to have to navigate new and changing rules for places to rest our heads and feet. We have a new plan that has us departing next April. this should allow things to settle down. With new rules in place, tested and stable, as well as letting the Camino infrastructure and people to get back to some level of the new normal before we start on our trek.

We will use the time between now and then to complete our planning, possibly adding an additional leg to Finisterre, and relish in the excitement of the trip coming rather than the worry of a changing situation.
Patience is a virtue.

Yes, many "if's", "and's" and "buts" in the leaders statements, but I will take them in a positive light and believe this is a glimmer of sunshine in the proverbial tunnel of darkness we have all been experiencing over the last year or so...

Rebekah Scott said:

You may be packed up and vaccinated and ready to roll, but here in Spain more than half of us (me, and most of the volunteer hospitaleros I count on) have not been vaccinated yet.

Click to expand...

I know it probably differs from region to region but at the moment, in the Valencia province and the Madrid area, they are only at the stage of vaccinating the over 70s. (First vaccination).
That leaves an awful lot of people

Helpful website if anyone is interested in up to date covid info for Spain and regions - https://www.rtve.es/noticias/202104...rtes-coronavirus-espana-dia-dia/2010514.shtml

As you may have read in your news in one form or another, the European Commission published amendments today concerning entry bans and entry restrictions for travellers who want to travel from their non-EU+ country to an EU country or a Schengen country.

It's merely a proposal for a recommendation at EU level but it is likely to be given the OK at EU level. If, how and when the EU countries follow this recommendation is anyone's guess but it is a rough framework for what it's going to be like within a not yet known number of weeks.

They don't distinguish between Americans and others. It's for everyone from the outside, i.e what they call third-country nationals residing in third countries.

• They propose that the EU countries should lift their restrictions on incoming non-essential travel for those who have received, at least 14 days before arrival in the EU+ area, their last recommended dose of one of the Covid-19 vaccines authorised for use in the EU.
• Ditto for vaccines on the WHO Emergency Use List. Here the proposed text says that the EU countries could lift their restrictions on such incoming non-essential traffic travellers.
• These travellers should be in possession of a valid proof of their Covid-19 vaccination. The text is pretty vague as to what constitutes valid proof. There is reference to future EU law on their "certificates" but that law has not yet been adopted and the system for the certificates is still in development. There is reference to what could be accepted as proof in the meantime.
• Travel restrictions may be totally or partially lifted or reintroduced depending on the assessment of epidemiological situations. Especially when a high incidence of variants of concern of the virus is detected, travel restrictions may be rapidly reintroduced. They call this an "emergency brake".
• Reciprocity (of restrictions of another non-EU country) will be taken into account.

One of the indicators used for assessment, namely the 14-day cumulative Covid-19 case notification rate, will be changed from not more than 25 now to not more than 100 in future.

EC press release
EC proposal
EC press briefing

Marbe2 said:

Barcelona launches campaign to win back US tourists

The Catalan capital has welcomed the recommendation that vaccinated Americans be allowed to enter Europe, given that before the pandemic they were key to the city’s tourism sector

english.elpais.com

“An announcement from the European Commission recommending that EU member states allow vaccinated visitors from the United States to enter Europe has created shockwaves through the tourism sector of Barcelona. Before the pandemic, the Catalan capital received more American travelers than from any other country, only outstripped by domestic tourists. They also spend the most money on their stays”

The artcle also suggests that vaccinated tourists from most nations will be admitted .

Click to expand...

Well... DW & I are nicely eyeing Barcelona for maybe October. We have a voucher for a week in any of 14 hotels already prepaid (of course 1st-come 1st serve)
We are not beach people so October might do very nicely doing some walking and exploring the city & the area. We went there in mid-November 2019 and the weather was very pleasant with mind temps...but we were there only for 2.5 days pre-cruise so definitely could spend a week