“Vacation’s Over, Ugly,” Says E.U. to Americans

As summer winds to a close, so too does Americans’ free holiday pass into the European Union. Due to rising COVID-19 cases in our dumb fucking country, the European Council made the decision to remove the United States from its safe travel list and recommended that E.U. nations restrict travel from incoming American tourists, particularly those who are unvaccinated. While it remains up to each E.U. member state to decide whether or not to impose restrictions, this could mean more required COVID testing and/or quarantines for those who wish to enter.

Now as for what this development means for you, personally, probably:

It is further confirmation that the COVID situation in the U.S. is out of control and just so stupid. (Bad.)

It might put an end to — or at least a sharp decrease in — all those distant acquaintances’ and influencers’ Instagram stories of themselves gallivanting around Lake Como or waving a baguette around on the streets of Paris, which you always watch from top to bottom even though each shakily filmed video of the view from a plane window makes you want to puke from envy. (Good.)

In the event that you do somehow make it to Europe for a relaxing gallivant this year, maybe there will be fewer unvaccinated tourists spreading their contagious droplets all over the place? (Good.) But what if some of these countries do impose more travel rules even on vaccinated people? (Bad.) But maybe that’s necessary to help curb the spread of the delta variant anyway, since vaccinated people can still carry it. (Good?)

So, all in all, a mixed bag here.