The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says fully vaccinated people can travel within the US without getting tested for the coronavirus or going into quarantine afterward. However, despite the new guidance issued Friday, the CDC still urges “caution” and advocates against “general travel overall” given the rising number of COVID0-19 infections.
According to the CDC, more than 100 million people in the US – or about 30 percent of the population – have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose.
The agency has said it would update its guidance on allowed activities for vaccinated people as more people get the shots and evidence mounts about the protection they provide.
For people who haven’t been fully vaccinated, the CDC is sticking to its recommendation to avoid unnecessary travel. If they do travel, the agency says to get tested one to three days before the trip, and three to five days after. People should also stay home and quarantine for seven days after travel, even if their COVID-19 test is negative, the agency says.
According to data through April 1 from Johns Hopkins University, the US is averaging 66,000 daily new cases this past week, up from 55,000 two weeks ago.
The new guidance says:
• Fully vaccinated people can travel within the US, without getting tested for the coronavirus or quarantining. People should still wear a mask, socially distance, and avoid crowds, the agency says.
• For international travel, the agency says vaccinated people do not need to get a COVID-19 test before leaving, unless the destination country requires it.
• For travellers coming into the US, vaccinated people should still get a negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight and be tested three to five days after arrival. They do not need to quarantine. The agency noted the potential introduction of virus variants and differences in vaccine coverage around the world for the cautious guidance on overseas travel.
Already, air travel in the United States has been picking back up. Although traffic remains down by nearly half from a year ago, more than 1 million travellers daily have been going through US airports in recent weeks.
Airlines do not require COVID-19 tests or proof of vaccination for travel in the US.
The US Travel Association quickly praised the new relaxed CDC guidance.
“The CDC’s new travel guidance is a major step in the right direction that is supported by the science and will take the brakes off the industry that has been hardest hit by the fallout of COVID by far,” said USTA President and CEO Roger Dow. “As travel comes back, US jobs come back.”
He added, The CDC’s data suggests that vaccinated individuals don’t transmit the coronavirus, which opens the door much wider for resuming travel, albeit while continuing to carefully follow other health best practices. Acknowledging that vaccinations eliminate the need for testing and quarantines removes a key barrier to domestic travel. Rescinding the recommendation that international visitors must quarantine also is an important incremental step.