As the European continent experienced another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, several European Union and Schengen Area countries have already decided to impose stricter restrictions on visitors arriving from highly affected areas in order to protect public health and control the spread of the virus and its variants.

The Czech Republic's authorities stated on Friday that three countries — Austria, Croatia, and Ireland – had been added to its red list. As a result, all unvaccinated travelers arriving in Czechia from one of these countries must undertake COVID-19 testing prior to arrival and remain self-isolated for 14 days after their entry.

However, it has been emphasized that if a negative test is provided on or after the fifth day of self-isolation, the quarantine duration can be reduced.

Those who have been fully vaccinated against the virus with one of the vaccines licensed for use by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) - AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, and Johnson & Johnson – are exempt from testing and quarantine.

Brussels has also decided to tighten entrance requirements for visitors from red zones. According to a news statement released by Belgian authorities, travellers arriving from a red-listed country who have not been vaccinated or recovered from the disease must follow a necessary ten-day quarantine requirement and take a COVID-19 test on the first day.

If a negative test result is presented on the seventh day, the self-isolation period may be reduced.

Similarly, Lithuania has reduced the number of green countries on the list. As a result, most EU and third-country countries, according to Lithuanian authorities, are currently regarded epidemiologically dangerous. Poland and Czechia are the only two countries now on Lithuania's green list.

This means that fully vaccinated travelers arriving in Lithuania from Poland or Czechia who show proof of immunization completed at least 14 days before arrival are free from testing and quarantine requirements.

Furthermore, data from the EU Health Agency found that only three EU nations are safe to visit. Only Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and parts of Italy, Romania, and Slovakia have discovered fewer than 50 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). As a result, visiting one of these countries/regions is risk-free.

Moreover, in accordance with the EU Council's advice, Denmark has prohibited travel from six third-party nations. As a result, visitors from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brunei, Japan, and Serbia are only permitted to enter Lithuania if they are fully vaccinated.

Following in the footsteps of other EU countries, French authorities have placed the United States on the yellow list. As a result, unvaccinated US visitors are no longer granted admission without restrictions.

Spain, like France, has prohibited unvaccinated Americans. As a result, US visitors can now enter Spain without limitations if they can present a vaccination certificate indicating that the holder has been completely immunised with one of the vaccinations recognised by the Spanish authorities.