Costa Rica is allowing US travellers again — but only if they come from the right states

After the summer surge in Covid-19 cases in the US, countries have taken one of two positions toward American travelers: welcome them or — more likely — ban them all. A new plan by Costa Rica takes a nuanced approach. On Aug. 19, the Central American country announced it is welcoming the residents of six US states. Residents of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont will be able to fly into Costa Rica from Sept. 1. That opens the possibility of travel to Costa Rica to approximately 35m Americans, or almost 11% of the US population. Multiple reports cited a Costa Rica tourism official as saying the country chose US states that have outbreak conditions that are similar to or better than those in Costa Rica. Costa Rica closed its borders to international travellers on March 18 and reopened them on Aug. 1 to select, low-risk countries. Residents of the European Union and Schengen Zone, the U.K., Canada, Uruguay, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, China, Australia and New Zealand are also allowed in. Costa Rica is also said to be assessing infection rates in Colorado, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania; those states may be allowed to enter next, according to local reports.<br/>