EU is barring American travelers as it reopens its borders

As the European Union sets guidelines for reopening borders to visitors from non-European countries, there’s one conspicuous absence from the list: the United States. Due to the US’ poor coronavirus response, and the continued surge of cases, it’s joining the ranks of Russia and Brazil on the list of countries from which travelers aren’t allowed in, according to The New York Times.

Although travelers from pretty much everywhere have been barred from visiting Europe since March, external borders are expected to reopen on July 1, allowing tourists to visit once again.

The finalized list of approved non-EU countries includes:

• Andorra
• Algeria
• Australia
• Canada
• Georgia
• Japan
• Monaco
• Montenegro
• Morocco
• New Zealand
• Rwanda
• San Marino
• Serbia
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Tunisia
• Uruguay
• Vatican City

The list may also include China but only if China extends reciprocity to EU member countries.

The list will be updated every two weeks, and is not legally binding, meaning member countries are free to add or remove countries from it. EU officials, however, warn that failure to follow the guidelines could lead to the reintroduction of borders within the union. This would be an attempt to prevent visitors from unapproved nations from traveling unchecked throughout Europe.

A version of this article was previously published on June 23, 2020, and was updated on June 29, 2020, with more information.