On Tuesday, June 23, The New York Times published a report detailing the European Unions’ decision to restrict travelers from the United States from entering its geographic bloc. The developing possibility stems from the perceived inability of the US to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Since the Times story, more news outlets have reported/confirmed the reports. Stipulation considers these reports to be UNBIASED & FAIR, although an official decision has not been made yet.
Context
Since the COVID-19 global pandemic destabilized much of the world in late-February 2020, many countries have closed their borders. In an effort to reduce the spread of the virus, many countries – including the European Union – have limited travel. Countries like Italy limited travel both internally and among foreign visitors.
However, many countries within the EU have slowed the transmission rate and reduced the numbers of hospitalizations and COVID-related deaths. So much so that the ecopolitical alliance has begun plans to open up for both internal movement and external travelers.
According to The New York Times and other outlets, EU officials are in the final stages of publishing a list of countries that they can accept travelers from. Supposedly, the list is based on objective, health-related criteria. Specifically, EU officials will track the rate of daily COVID-19 cases, the likelihood of spread to other Europeans, and “the ability of EU citizens to enter the reciprocal country”. The impending decisions will go into effect July 1.
Because the United States has not been able to control the pandemic, these benchmarks may prove insurmountable. While many states have “open up,” there has been a noticeable rise in positive tests and hospitalizations across the nation. When asked if the US was likely to be on the list of countries excluded from the European Union, one EU diplomat said “With 107 new cases per 100,000 people, what do you think?” Which is to say, the COVID-related conditions in the US are so deficient, that the EU cannot make an exception. Such a sentiment is likely to be acknowledged by officials in Washington D.C and Brussels despite the potential negative effect it will have on US-EU relations.
Who Reported It?
As mentioned above, the The New York Times was one of the first outlets to report this story with prominent evidence. Subsequent reporting bolstered the story and added additional context. A large share of the news outlets reporting this story are based in the US. The following is a list of outlets who also reported/confirmed the story:
How Biased Is The Report?
Because this story is still developing, the “biasness” of the initial report is subject to change. However, as of now, Stipulation can confidently conclude this report to be UNBIASED & FAIR. Per our Averaged Bias Score calculation, this report received a 57.00 ABS. Meaning, the report that “the European Union will restrict access from American travelers” is solidly unbiased.