Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in the United States, the European Council has decided to remove the United States from their safe travel list.
Originally, the EU had lifted restrictions on the United States before the summer tourism season began in June.
Also removed from the safe travel list was Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and Macedonia.
The United States has not opened its borders to Europe yet.
The guidelines for travel are reviewed by the European Council every two weeks and in order for countries to stay on the list and be considered “safe” they cannot have over 75 new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents over the previous 14 day period.
As of last week the new cases averaged over 152,000 per day, a number last seen in January, and 85,000 hospitalized COVID patients per day, a number last seen in February.
Death rates average around 1,200 per day, seven times higher than in July.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]