The European Union removed 5 territories, including the United States from its list of countries that were earlier exempt from restrictions on non-essential travel during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Visitors from the US and the five other countries will now likely face tighter controls, such as COVID-19 tests and quarantines.

In addition to the US, Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, and North Macedonia have also been omitted from the list.

This list intends to standardise travel rules across the EU, but it does not bind the individual member states, which can still set their own border policies.

However, so far most EU members have followed Brussels" travel recommendation during the crisis.

Several EU countries, including Germany and Belgium, already categorise the US as red and require testing and quarantines, while France and the Netherlands deem it safe.