Travel Guidelines From The CDC
Today, April 2, 2021, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued some new guidelines as it relates to traveling in the U.S. This specifically relates to travelers who are full vaccinated. Before I share the details though, let’s first define the term “fully vaccinated.” Fully vaccinated means that its been 14 days after your full vaccination complement. So if you’ve had a one-shot vaccine like Johnson & Johnson, then its two weeks after that one. But if it’s any of the other two dose vaccines, then its two weeks after the last dose.
Now, the CDC news from their website:
Domestic U.S. Travel
View from the San Jacinto Monument
- Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19.
- People who are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine can travel safely within the United States:
- Fully vaccinated travelers do not need to get tested before or after travel unless their destination requires it
- Fully vaccinated travelers do not need to self-quarantine
- Fully vaccinated travelers should still follow CDC’s recommendations for traveling safely including:
- Wear a mask over your nose and mouth
- Stay 6 feet from others and avoid crowds
- Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer
You can read all the details here.
International Travel
Speightstown, Barbados
So what about international travel you are perhaps asking? Here’s what the CDC has to say on their website:
Pay close attention to the situation at your international destination before traveling outside the United States.
- You do NOT need to get tested before leaving the United States unless your destination requires it. [Note, many destination do require this]
- You still need to show a negative test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding a flight to the United States.
- You should still get tested 3-5 days after international travel.
- You do NOT need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States.
You can find more details here.
If you are not in the United States, check with your country’s health department for guidelines if they do not use the CDC’s guidelines.
A Boeing 787 takes off Oshkosh, WI USA
Note: Many countries including the U.S. continue to fight COVID-19 and we are still in a pandemic. As such, it is important to be sensitive of this situation. In addition, many developing countries are still having issues rolling out their vaccine programs due to he availability of vaccines. And, you should check the hospital availability situation for the country you are visiting before you visit as some countries hospital systems are being overwhelmed due to COVID-19.
In short, travel smart!