The European Union closed their external border in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, one day before July, the EU is preparing to reopen the border, but not everyone will be welcome.

The EU officials have been busy preparing a list of approved countries, and if you’re not on that list, you’re not welcome inside their border. The United States will not be on that list.

An EU diplomat told CNN that the decision about which countries would be on the list and which would not was not political but about health. The countries that are on the list have to have coronavirus infection rates that are no higher than in the EU. The goal is to keep their citizens safe.

Currently, the United States has the highest number of infections and the highest number of deaths in the entire world related to COVID-19. 

So what countries are on the approved list? Currently, there are 15 countries that will be welcome in the bloc as early as tomorrow, July 1st. These countries are Algeria, Australia, Canada, China, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay.

It may seem odd that China is on this list considering the novel coronavirus started in that country, but China’s inclusion on the list is contingent on reciprocal arrangements.

Each of the 27 countries that make up the EU will be able to enforce their own guidelines, but the EU hopes that the list will be enforced throughout. The final list only needs a majority vote to be approved. Some countries have expressed concern about opening their borders at all.

The first list of approved countries will be finalized today around lunchtime today. After that, the list will be reviewed and updated every two weeks. For now, if you live in the United States, don’t make plans to travel to Europe any time soon. 

Does it surprise you that the EU is reopening the border? Does it surprise you that the United States is not on the approved list of countries that will be welcome to visit?