European Union to reopen borders to vaccinated visitors

The European Union is set to reopen its borders to those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or are traveling from a country that's considered safe, The New York Times reports.

During a meeting on Wednesday, ambassadors from the 27 member states reportedly came to this agreement to allow in visitors who have either received an approved COVID-19 vaccine, including any of the three that have been authorized for emergency use in the United States, or are coming from a list of countries that will be finalized later this week.

According to The Washington Post, this agreement is expected to be formally approved in the coming days, although the Post notes that "individual countries will still be able to set their own rules about what they require from aspiring visitors." While it wasn't officially revealed when the reopening will begin, the Times reports that "the new measures could go into effect as early as next week."

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Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, previously told the Times this step was expected to be taken, saying that since the United States uses COVID-19 vaccines that have also been approved in the European Union, "this will enable free movement and the travel."