Sep 15, 2021, 1:47 pm
Last edit by: NewbieRunner
New thread for discussing 1-day test requirements for travellers arriving in the US by air
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/coronavirus-travel/2060730-us-require-air-travelers-provide-negative-test-within-1-day-departure.html
Entry ban from eight southern African countries starting on November 29, 2021
Most non-U.S. citizens who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique or Malaw within the prior 14 days will not be allowed into the United States.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/11/26/a-proclamation-on-suspension-of-entry-as-immigrants-and-nonimmigrants-of-certain-additional-persons-who-pose-a-risk-of-transmitting-coronavirus-disease-2019/
Entry ban by air to be lifted on November 8, 2021 - All travelers should refer to CDC for travel requirements.
3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue (US citizens/LPR not vaccinated will have to test no earlier than 1 day prior) Children under 2 years old do not need to test.
Children under 18 are exempt from vaccination requirement
Accepted vaccines will include:
There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old
Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases
Update on U.S. travel policy requiring COVID-19 vaccination
Last Updated: October 25, 2021
As announced by the White House today, the new travel policy requiring foreign nationals traveling to the United States to demonstrate proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 will take effect November 8. The CDC’s website explains that, for purposes of entry into the United States, the accepted vaccines will include FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines.
COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Exceptions - U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
Last updated: October 25, 2021
The presidential proclamations described on this page will no longer be in effect on November 8, 2021. For additional information, please see Safely Resuming Travel by Vaccine Requirement and Rescission of Travel Restrictions on Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa, and the United Kingdom (travel.state.gov).
To protect the public health, there are four presidential proclamations that suspend entry into the United States of all noncitizens who were physically present in any of 33 countries during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. They are Presidential Proclamation 9984 (China); Presidential Proclamation 9992 (Iran); Presidential Proclamation 10143 (Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, and South Africa); and Presidential Proclamation 10199 (India).
What we know so far is
- Confirmed to start on 8 November
- Children under 18 are exempt from the vaccine restrictions, so the varying international standards on jab ages won't be an issue here.
- Vaccines that are OK will include Pfizer, Moderna, AZ, J&J and the two Chinese vaccines.
- Some exemptions from vaccinations are potentially allowed, notably for US citizens, though my guess is airlines will be expecting to see vaccine certificates
- 3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue, so this needs to be a documented antigen/Lateral Flow test or PCR.
- 3 days is potentially more than 72 hours, departure on a Friday afternoon means a test on Tuesday morning or thereafter.
- NHS Lateral Flows and PCRs can't be used.
- Children over 2 years old travelling with vaccinated travellers have to be tested on the same basis (3 days).
- 1 day testing for unvaccinated USA legal residents (testing on or the day before departure), including their children.
- All passengers need to sign an attestment to confirm their negative test result and also a statement to confirm full vaccination status.
- Children who are not vaccinated do not need to get vaccinated but do need to get a "viral test" 3 to 5 days after arrival in the USA
- As a result there is a separate attestion question for unvaccinated children to confirm that the viral test is arranged.
- Vaccination certificates must come from an official source. The NHS COVID Pass app and EU DCC are specifically mentioned as acceptable.
- Vaccination is counted as two weeks from dose2, or 2 weeks after the sole dose in the case of J&J.
- Antibody certification is not a replacement for the need for vaccination, at least for non USA residents.
- 14 clear days need to elapse before travel. So if jabbed on 1 October then 15 October is when you are good to go.
- Booster vaccinations are not a factor here, they don't count towards or against the primary dose process.
- There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old.
- Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases.
- These restrictions do not apply at the land border.
Note that a lot of interpretation onus falls on airlines. For example there is no language requirement for vaccine certificates as far as the CDC is concerned, however you can imagine Air France may be hesitant in accepting a vaccine certificate issued in the Welsh language, to take one example.
CDC link
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2...el-System.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/coronavirus-travel/2060730-us-require-air-travelers-provide-negative-test-within-1-day-departure.html
Entry ban from eight southern African countries starting on November 29, 2021
Most non-U.S. citizens who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique or Malaw within the prior 14 days will not be allowed into the United States.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/11/26/a-proclamation-on-suspension-of-entry-as-immigrants-and-nonimmigrants-of-certain-additional-persons-who-pose-a-risk-of-transmitting-coronavirus-disease-2019/
Entry ban by air to be lifted on November 8, 2021 - All travelers should refer to CDC for travel requirements.
3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue (US citizens/LPR not vaccinated will have to test no earlier than 1 day prior) Children under 2 years old do not need to test.
Children under 18 are exempt from vaccination requirement
Accepted vaccines will include:
- AstraZeneca
- BIBP/Sinopharm
- Covishield
- Janssen/J&J
- Moderna
- Pfizer-BioNTech
- Sinovac
There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old
Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases
Update on U.S. travel policy requiring COVID-19 vaccination
Last Updated: October 25, 2021
As announced by the White House today, the new travel policy requiring foreign nationals traveling to the United States to demonstrate proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 will take effect November 8. The CDC’s website explains that, for purposes of entry into the United States, the accepted vaccines will include FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines.
COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Exceptions - U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
Last updated: October 25, 2021
The presidential proclamations described on this page will no longer be in effect on November 8, 2021. For additional information, please see Safely Resuming Travel by Vaccine Requirement and Rescission of Travel Restrictions on Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa, and the United Kingdom (travel.state.gov).
To protect the public health, there are four presidential proclamations that suspend entry into the United States of all noncitizens who were physically present in any of 33 countries during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. They are Presidential Proclamation 9984 (China); Presidential Proclamation 9992 (Iran); Presidential Proclamation 10143 (Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, and South Africa); and Presidential Proclamation 10199 (India).
What we know so far is
- Confirmed to start on 8 November
- Children under 18 are exempt from the vaccine restrictions, so the varying international standards on jab ages won't be an issue here.
- Vaccines that are OK will include Pfizer, Moderna, AZ, J&J and the two Chinese vaccines.
- Some exemptions from vaccinations are potentially allowed, notably for US citizens, though my guess is airlines will be expecting to see vaccine certificates
- 3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue, so this needs to be a documented antigen/Lateral Flow test or PCR.
- 3 days is potentially more than 72 hours, departure on a Friday afternoon means a test on Tuesday morning or thereafter.
- NHS Lateral Flows and PCRs can't be used.
- Children over 2 years old travelling with vaccinated travellers have to be tested on the same basis (3 days).
- 1 day testing for unvaccinated USA legal residents (testing on or the day before departure), including their children.
- All passengers need to sign an attestment to confirm their negative test result and also a statement to confirm full vaccination status.
- Children who are not vaccinated do not need to get vaccinated but do need to get a "viral test" 3 to 5 days after arrival in the USA
- As a result there is a separate attestion question for unvaccinated children to confirm that the viral test is arranged.
- Vaccination certificates must come from an official source. The NHS COVID Pass app and EU DCC are specifically mentioned as acceptable.
- Vaccination is counted as two weeks from dose2, or 2 weeks after the sole dose in the case of J&J.
- Antibody certification is not a replacement for the need for vaccination, at least for non USA residents.
- 14 clear days need to elapse before travel. So if jabbed on 1 October then 15 October is when you are good to go.
- Booster vaccinations are not a factor here, they don't count towards or against the primary dose process.
- There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old.
- Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases.
- These restrictions do not apply at the land border.
Note that a lot of interpretation onus falls on airlines. For example there is no language requirement for vaccine certificates as far as the CDC is concerned, however you can imagine Air France may be hesitant in accepting a vaccine certificate issued in the Welsh language, to take one example.
CDC link
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2...el-System.html
US reopened on 8 November 2021 (& subsequent entry restrictions for non-citizens)
Jun 20, 2021, 4:12 pm
#1111
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Exactly, it's not the first time of Ed Bastian giving speculative information to the media regarding an UK<->US corridor. In a webinar this spring, he claimed that the UK & the US was going to build a corridor in May which didn't happen.
Jun 20, 2021, 6:51 pm
#1112
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
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First post on FlyerTalk, so I can't post the link, but Delta CEO Ed Bastian was interviewed by Fox Business recently and made some interesting comments. The relevant section of the article can be found below:
The name of the article, should you wish to verify the excerpt above, is "Delta CEO expects business travel to return to pre-pandemic levels July 1", published 17th June 2021.
The name of the article, should you wish to verify the excerpt above, is "Delta CEO expects business travel to return to pre-pandemic levels July 1", published 17th June 2021.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyl...-levels-july-1
Jun 20, 2021, 8:47 pm
#1113
Join Date: Jan 2021
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 459
First post on FlyerTalk, so I can't post the link, but Delta CEO Ed Bastian was interviewed by Fox Business recently and made some interesting comments. The relevant section of the article can be found below:
The name of the article, should you wish to verify the excerpt above, is "Delta CEO expects business travel to return to pre-pandemic levels July 1", published 17th June 2021.
The name of the article, should you wish to verify the excerpt above, is "Delta CEO expects business travel to return to pre-pandemic levels July 1", published 17th June 2021.
Jun 20, 2021, 9:24 pm
#1114
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 710
The actual quote is "I think if you take the period from July 1 forward, we're going to see business travel at levels that were consistent with where we were pre-pandemic," but the context is domestic. He expects a UK-US travel corridor to "start soon," but makes no prediction about dates or traffic levels.
Jun 20, 2021, 11:47 pm
#1115
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: OW Emerald / BAEC Gold
Posts: 474
So no prediction for specific date; speaking about business travelers; and domestic only.
Jun 20, 2021, 11:55 pm
#1116
Join Date: Jun 2018
Programs: BA, Avis, Amex
Posts: 414
US delays easing of land border restrictions
"US land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least July 21, the US Homeland Security Department said on Sunday.
The 30-day extension came after Canada announced its own extension on Friday of the requirements that were set to expire on Monday and have been in place since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The US government held working-group meetings with Canada and Mexico last week.
Homeland Security said in a statement it noted “positive developments in recent weeks and is participating with other US agencies in the White House*s expert working groups with Canada and Mexico to identify the conditions under which restrictions may be eased safely and sustainably.”"
"US land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least July 21, the US Homeland Security Department said on Sunday.
The 30-day extension came after Canada announced its own extension on Friday of the requirements that were set to expire on Monday and have been in place since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The US government held working-group meetings with Canada and Mexico last week.
Homeland Security said in a statement it noted “positive developments in recent weeks and is participating with other US agencies in the White House*s expert working groups with Canada and Mexico to identify the conditions under which restrictions may be eased safely and sustainably.”"
Jun 21, 2021, 7:33 am
#1117
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: EWR
Programs: Cattle Class
Posts: 556
I don't think US will lift the Schengen ban any time soon. Last week they had announcements related to the CA and MX borders so that was a good reason to lift the EU ban if they wanted to.
Jun 21, 2021, 7:37 am
#1118
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: London, UK
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It seems the situation with Canada is a response to what Canada did. Personally, I'm expecting an announcement with opening date within 2 weeks. Given that the EU has already opened, and the situation is getting better by the day.
Jun 21, 2021, 8:38 am
#1119
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: OW Emerald / BAEC Gold
Posts: 474
4th of July hopefully will bring some more information.
Jun 21, 2021, 9:28 am
#1121
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
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Jun 21, 2021, 10:37 am
#1123
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Bonvoy Gold
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I think the suggestion is that July 4 might bring more information/clarity on when travel from the UK and Europe might resume, not that it will resume on that date.
Jun 21, 2021, 10:51 am
#1124
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
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In the hope that Biden includes travel as part of this:
“That will make this Independence Day something truly special: Where we not only mark our independence as a nation, but we begin to mark our independence from this virus.”
https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1370190426435514370?s=20
“That will make this Independence Day something truly special: Where we not only mark our independence as a nation, but we begin to mark our independence from this virus.”
https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1370190426435514370?s=20
Things in the US have changed dramatically at the state and local level, but not so much as far as the federal government is concerned. Full capacity events have restarted inside of Madison Square Garden - in a city and state have have been pretty conservative with respect to removing COVID restrictions. Meanwhile the US extended the Canada land border closure for another three weeks, even though Canada has a much higher vaccination rate (first dose) than the US and the lead is increasing. Yes, I know that Canada extended its closure, but there is no obvious reason why the US needed to follow suit.
The fact that we aren't hearing anything from Washington except for the creation of various working groups leads me to believe that reopening travel is not a priority for the administration and there aren't going to be any changes anytime soon. Working groups are a way of kicking difficult or unpopular decisions down the road. Not even a suggestion of what conditions we might need to see, or what the purpose of the various bans are in the first place at this point.
There needs to be a political decision that we're willing to accept some amount of risk, otherwise the status quo risk aversion will continue on its own momentum. Unfortunately I don't see any specific action forcing event or trigger point on the horizon. The US has basically topped out in terms of vaccinations at this point absent some big development (e.g. employer mandates tied to full FDA approval), so I don't think we're going to hit any significant milestones like 70% of the population being vaccinated or something like that. We'll probably hit 70% of adults in a few weeks, but it's very unevenly distributed - we'll hit it with some places at 85% and other places at 45%.
Jun 21, 2021, 11:16 am
#1125
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: EWR
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Posts: 556
Things in the US have changed dramatically at the state and local level, but not so much as far as the federal government is concerned. Full capacity events have restarted inside of Madison Square Garden - in a city and state have have been pretty conservative with respect to removing COVID restrictions. Meanwhile the US extended the Canada land border closure for another three weeks, even though Canada has a much higher vaccination rate (first dose) than the US and the lead is increasing. Yes, I know that Canada extended its closure, but there is no obvious reason why the US needed to follow suit.
Easing restrictions, for at least vaccinated people, should also increase the number of vaccinated individuals.