Laura Whitmore joins a legion of delighted Brits in jetting Stateside

‘New York here I come!’ Laura Whitmore joins a legion of delighted tourists in jetting Stateside as America’s travel ban is FINALLY lifted


Laura Whitmore joined the legion of Brits headed to the states as travel restrictions for jetting to America lifted on Monday. 

The Love Island host, 36, who is a self-confessed Yankophile after spending a year living in America when she was 21, took to social media to share a duo of snaps showing her making her way stateside following the lightened restrictions. 

Sharing a make-up free selfie on the plane as well as a snap with two Virgin Atlantic air hostesses clad in American paraphernalia, Laura accompanied the shots with a caption reading: ‘US is open! It’s been a while.’

Woo! Laura Whitmore joined the legion of Brits headed to the states as travel restrictions for jetting to America lifted on Monday

Woo! Laura Whitmore joined the legion of Brits headed to the states as travel restrictions for jetting to America lifted on Monday

‘Wearing my friend Nicola Roberts’ beautiful new merch for the flight, adored with her gorgeous lyrics celebrating 10 years of Cinderella’s eyes.  love this album! New York here I come. So excited to be back x

America has finally reopened its borders to fully vaccinated UK travellers, as thousands jet off to reunite with family and friends for the first time in two years.

Rival airlines British Airways and Virgin Atlantic operated synchronised departures at 8.30am from London Heathrow to New York JFK to celebrate the end of the travel ban imposed by Donald Trump in March last year as Covid spread across the planet.

The Empire State Building will be lit up in red, white and blue to welcome back the first UK visitors who will be greeted by New York Governor Kathy Hochul from 11am local time.

Yay! The Love Island host, 36, took to social media to share a duo of snaps showing her making her way stateside following the lightened restrictions

Yay! The Love Island host, 36, took to social media to share a duo of snaps showing her making her way stateside following the lightened restrictions

'So excited to be back': Sharing a make-up free selfie on the plane as well as a snap with two Virgin Atlantic air hostesses clad in American paraphernalia, Laura accompanied the shots with a caption reading: 'US is open! It’s been a while'

‘So excited to be back’: Sharing a make-up free selfie on the plane as well as a snap with two Virgin Atlantic air hostesses clad in American paraphernalia, Laura accompanied the shots with a caption reading: ‘US is open! It’s been a while’

So what ARE the new US travel rules? 

Starting Monday, travellers can visit the US again from anywhere so long as they prove they are fully vaccinated and have a negative Covid test.

Vaccinated people who have had a negative test within the previous 72 hours can enter without quarantining.

The US is recommending that travellers take another test three to five days after arriving, unless they have proof of recovery from Covid in the past 90 days. 

Coronavirus vaccine certificates including the NHS Covid Pass are accepted in America.

Children under 18 do not need to be vaccinated to enter but unvaccinated children over two must have a negative Covid test. 

A small number of unvaccinated travellers from countries where vaccination rates are less than 10 percent can also enter. 

The only other unvaccinated travellers who will be allowed in are those with exemptions, but it’s unclear what kind of exemption the US will accept. 

Under travel rules announced by President Joe Biden in September, fully vaccinated visitors from countries including the UK, Ireland, China, India and South Africa will be allowed to enter America.

They must also provide proof of either a negative test taken no more than three days before travel, or that they have recovered from Covid in the previous three months.

The easing will see thousands of people reunite with loved ones in the US for the first time in more than 600 days.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it was a ‘significant moment’ as transatlantic travel has ‘long been at the heart of UK aviation’. 

He added that the ‘vitally important’ UK-US flights routes boost the economy, create British jobs and help develop plans to reduce carbon emissions from flying. 

In 2018, Laura spoke of her experience of living in America as a student, as she revealed: ‘When I was 21, I studied in the US for five months…

‘In my final year of journalism at Dublin City University, we had the option to go abroad and everyone went to different places, but for me, it was always going to be Boston…

‘I loved the idea of this student city — home to dozens of universities, including Harvard — known for its big Irish contingent. It was a great opportunity.’

Industry leaders expect the easing of restrictions to provide a significant boost for the travel sector which has been hammered by the virus crisis, but have warned of massive queues at airports all throughout November due to an ‘onslaught of travel all at once’. 

Speaking to MailOnline today, Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency, praised the relaxation as ‘the pivotal moment when travel out of the UK is far closer to normality’. 

Virgin Atlantic cabin crew staff at London Heathrow Airport's T3 ahead of the departure of Virgin Atlantic flight VS3, which will perform a synchronised departure on parallel runways alongside British Airways flight BA001, heading for New York JFK to celebrate the reopening of the transatlantic travel corridor

Virgin Atlantic cabin crew staff at London Heathrow Airport’s T3 ahead of the departure of Virgin Atlantic flight VS3, which will perform a synchronised departure on parallel runways alongside British Airways flight BA001, heading for New York JFK to celebrate the reopening of the transatlantic travel corridor

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