A lot of people – including your writer and editor – have been waiting for the chance to return to the United States of America.
Well, it seems the 8th November is the magic date, when the US will end its blanket travel bans, and base entry on vaccination status.
The bans were put in place starting in January 2020, through to March 2020, as a response to the growing COVID cases around the world, with the US only lifting entry requirements from certain countries.
It seems that the US has now decided to invite outsiders back into their country.
Requirements
International Travellers will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 using World Heath Organisation or US Food and Drug Administration authorised vaccines. These include:
- AstraZeneca
- Johnson & Johnson
- Moderna
- Pfizer-BioNTech
- Sinopharm
- Sinovac
Requirements for children have not been disclosed yet.
According to the US CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html
Fully vaccinated travelers do not need to get tested before leaving the United States unless required by their destination.
Fully vaccinated air travelers coming to the United States from abroad, including U.S. citizens, are still required to have a negative SARS-CoV-2 viral test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board a flight to the United States.
International travelers arriving in the United States are still recommended to get a SARS-CoV-2 viral test 3-5 days after travel regardless of vaccination status.
Fully vaccinated travelers do not need to self-quarantine in the United States following international travel.
You are considered fully vaccinated after
- 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
- 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine
The CDCs Travel advice is listed at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html. It does not cover the changes of the 8th of November yet.
A lot to be revealed still
It’s welcoming to see the USA prepare to open up to visitors again (even if it’s a little late for me this year). However, there are still missing gaps (such as how children will be handled), as well as full policy guidance.
And that’s something that has been noted by the UK FCDO, with them stating
The US Government announced on 15 October that it would lift travel restrictions starting from 8 November for foreign citizens who are fully vaccinated with any Covid-19 vaccine approved for emergency use by the World Health Organisation or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). More details are on the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. We are waiting for further details on how this will be implemented at US borders. British nationals planning to travel to the US from 8 November 2021 onwards may wish to wait for further information to be released by the US Government.
As usual, plan appropriately. There may be some settling in that will need to take place, as the full guidance for international travellers is awaited.
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