The European Union has removed the USA from the list of countries that are exempt from CoV entry restrictions. Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and North Macedonia are no longer on this list.

This recommends that the EU member states introduce new restrictions for travelers from the United States. The list is not binding - it is up to national governments to decide on specific entry restrictions. However, the majority of states have followed the EU's recommendations since the beginning of the pandemic, with the EU only adding the United States to its list of third countries that are no longer subject to entry restrictions a few weeks ago. But the Americans didn't go along with them, which caused criticism. The ORF reports.