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 21, 2021, 11:32 am
#1126
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I don't think unvaccinated people care about these restrictions domestically :-) I think that we're pretty much done with vaccination campaign in the US unless there will be a new big scare/variant. Cases are already rising again in states with low vaccination rates and I don't think local authorities will do anything about it. I think one argument for travel ban (of the FEDs thinking) is that we don't want to "import" more trouble (or that we don't want to deal with that) but it could be a weak one given that already 10+% of cases in the US are the delta variant. Frankly, from economic perspective, I'm also not sure if we need European tourists given how red hot the economy is in terms of domestic consumption and that we have mismatch between demand and supply of labor (if you're an essential worked you generally can get in to my understanding with a bunch of paperwork).
Jun 21, 2021, 11:40 am
#1127
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om economic perspective, I'm also not sure if we need European tourists given how red hot the economy
Breaking up commercial links is not in the interests of the US.
Jun 21, 2021, 11:49 am
#1128
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With the EU opening up, that spending might get diverted to the other side of the ocean. I still haven't heard any explanation from feds why it is not save to come here from the EU but it is considered safe enough to come here from Turkey which has much higher infection rate per capita than most (if not all) of the EU countries.
Jun 21, 2021, 11:54 am
#1129
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 46
I don't think unvaccinated people care about these restrictions domestically :-) I think that we're pretty much done with vaccination campaign in the US unless there will be a new big scare/variant. Cases are already rising again in states with low vaccination rates and I don't think local authorities will do anything about it. I think one argument for travel ban (of the FEDs thinking) is that we don't want to "import" more trouble (or that we don't want to deal with that) but it could be a weak one given that already 10+% of cases in the US are the delta variant. Frankly, from economic perspective, I'm also not sure if we need European tourists given how red hot the economy is in terms of domestic consumption and that we have mismatch between demand and supply of labor (if you're an essential worked you generally can get in to my understanding with a bunch of paperwork).
I'd imagine quite a lot of US businesses would love to have them currently for this summer, given the supply of labour issues.
Jun 21, 2021, 12:09 pm
#1130
Join Date: Feb 2011
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Over 350,000 J1 visas are issued ever year, mostly to foreign students 18-22 who work low paid, hospitality retail etc jobs in the US for the summer. It mightn't sound like a huge number spread across the entire US, but in some concentrated locations they can be a huge chunk of the low wage summer labour force. I know San Diego in the mid 2000s was getting approx 5,000 Irish J1 students per summer alone for example
I'd imagine quite a lot of US businesses would love to have them currently for this summer, given the supply of labour issues.
I'd imagine quite a lot of US businesses would love to have them currently for this summer, given the supply of labour issues.
With the EU opening up, that spending might get diverted to the other side of the ocean. I still haven't heard any explanation from feds why it is not save to come here from the EU but it is considered safe enough to come here from Turkey which has much higher infection rate per capita than most (if not all) of the EU countries.
I also am not so sure that the Europe will stay open. Just saw these statistics from FT: https://www.ft.com/content/d4abbe5e-...a-2d3efa2ed52b. This does not look optimistic and now we have Euro 2020 with semi-full stadiums and fairly open borders within Schengen to my understanding. I hope higher vaccination rates in Europe will prevent fourth wave but every day I'm more and more skeptical. Once the hospitals start being overrun again, that will be it for open borders. Maybe the FEDs are just anticipating this. Certainly Canada does and this is why they are pushing for such high vaccination rates with two doses before they open. To my understanding vaccines are pretty effective against delta when it comes to severe disease (not as effective as against alpha and original strain and not all vaccines but still) but we don't know much I think when it comes to the spread...
Last edited by outgoing; Jun 21, 2021 at 12:15 pm
Jun 21, 2021, 12:30 pm
#1131
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: EWR
Programs: Cattle Class
Posts: 556
The following are the only restrictions (to enter by air) (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...countries.html). You are free to come from other countries (negative test is required).
Restricted countries:
China
Iran
European Schengen area (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City)
United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
Republic of Ireland
Brazil
South Africa
India
Restricted countries:
China
Iran
European Schengen area (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City)
United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
Republic of Ireland
Brazil
South Africa
India
Jun 21, 2021, 12:36 pm
#1132
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: SEA, ATL (wish it was still ORD)
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Well, that is then just silly given that biggest outbreaks are in South America now...
Of course, there is also a question about potential traffic to the US. Presumably it's be bigger from EU than from Turkey. I mean it's not that easy to enter the US from Turkey or South America. You need to be a citizen or LPR but these folks can enter anyways else you need a visa. So perhaps there is no need to explicitly include places like Turkey or South/Central American countries b/c they are not part of the Visa Waiver program and presumably tourist visas are not issued now. If you cannot de facto enter then there is no de jure action needed really. Most of EU is however part of the VWP.
Of course, there is also a question about potential traffic to the US. Presumably it's be bigger from EU than from Turkey. I mean it's not that easy to enter the US from Turkey or South America. You need to be a citizen or LPR but these folks can enter anyways else you need a visa. So perhaps there is no need to explicitly include places like Turkey or South/Central American countries b/c they are not part of the Visa Waiver program and presumably tourist visas are not issued now. If you cannot de facto enter then there is no de jure action needed really. Most of EU is however part of the VWP.
Last edited by outgoing; Jun 21, 2021 at 12:43 pm
Jun 21, 2021, 1:07 pm
#1133
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Just saw these statistics from FT: https://www.ft.com/content/d4abbe5e-...a-2d3efa2ed52b. This does not look optimistic and now we have Euro 2020 with semi-full stadiums and fairly open borders within Schengen to my understanding.
In 8 weeks everyone will be talking about the Epsilon variant.
In 16 weeks everyone will be talking about the Zeta variant.
In 24 weeks everyone will be talking about the Eta variant.
You are getting my point?
The Coronavirus is mutating. The same is true with the flu virus.
And the studies (I have seen so far) do not prove that the Delta is more "deadly" then the wild-type.
However, what I was reading is that the Delta variant has actually formed at many places on earth simultaneously. The same is true for other variants, as well. So the Delta variant did not just exclusively originate in India, no - it originated at other places, as well.
Hence, keeping borders shut is not the solution.
The solution to this entire Coronavirus scare is to either vaccinate the population, so that immune system is confronted with that new Coronavirus. I am pretty sure that hospitilization/death rates for fully vaccinated people (e.g. with the BioNTech or Moderna vaccine) will be much less than the seasonal flu.
Jun 21, 2021, 1:13 pm
#1134
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Jun 21, 2021, 1:14 pm
#1135
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: SEA, ATL (wish it was still ORD)
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However, what I was reading is that the Delta variant has actually formed at many places on earth simultaneously. The same is true for other variants, as well. So the Delta variant did not just exclusively originate in India, no - it originated at other places, as well.
Hence, keeping borders shut is not the solution.
The solution to this entire Coronavirus scare is to either vaccinate the population, so that immune system is confronted with that new Coronavirus. I am pretty sure that hospitilization/death rates for fully vaccinated people (e.g. with the BioNTech or Moderna vaccine) will be much less than the seasonal flu.
Hence, keeping borders shut is not the solution.
The solution to this entire Coronavirus scare is to either vaccinate the population, so that immune system is confronted with that new Coronavirus. I am pretty sure that hospitilization/death rates for fully vaccinated people (e.g. with the BioNTech or Moderna vaccine) will be much less than the seasonal flu.
Hospitalization/deaths are kind of extreme outcomes. I think we also care about symptomatic infections/exposure more broadly as there is less known about the potential complications from the new variants. Just the other day someone reported on a study showing that COVID affects brain functioning (I don't think flu does) so I at least would appreciate not having reduced mental capacity.
Jun 21, 2021, 1:25 pm
#1136
Join Date: Jan 2021
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Jun 21, 2021, 1:38 pm
#1137
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Is is possible Biden isn't opening the US to vaccinated Europeans is because he and his Fauci team believe the Astra Zeneca vaccine isn't as good as Pfizer or Moderna?
Jun 21, 2021, 1:54 pm
#1138
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So we don't think that closed borders slow the spread? I'd think they do.
But this is what matters ultimatelly. We are getting infected with dozens of (respiratory) viruses each year. Usually, our immune system is able to handle them.
I think we also care about symptomatic infections/exposure more broadly as there is less known about the potential complications from the new variants.
So the world hasn't seen dangerous respiratory viruses before 2020?
Where the border shut down globally for the swine or bird flu?
If the Influenza (flu) virus meets a weak immune system, of course, it will affect the brain, as well.
The respiratory viruses that most commonly circulate in all continents as endemic or epidemic agents are influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza viruses, metapneumovirus, rhinovirus, coronaviruses, adenoviruses, and bocaviruses.
You can be sure that these viruses kill millions of people each year (esp. elderly folks). They affect mental capacity, as well.
This is well known for more than 100 years.
Hospitalization/deaths are kind of extreme outcomes.
I think we also care about symptomatic infections/exposure more broadly as there is less known about the potential complications from the new variants.
So the world hasn't seen dangerous respiratory viruses before 2020?
Where the border shut down globally for the swine or bird flu?
Just the other day someone reported on a study showing that COVID affects brain functioning (I don't think flu does)
so I at least would appreciate not having reduced mental capacity.
You can be sure that these viruses kill millions of people each year (esp. elderly folks). They affect mental capacity, as well.
This is well known for more than 100 years.
Jun 21, 2021, 1:57 pm
#1139
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Is is possible Biden isn't opening the US to vaccinated Europeans is because he and his Fauci team believe the Astra Zeneca vaccine isn't as good as Pfizer or Moderna?
Fauci's reasoning is
- to surpress travel. Travel is usually associated with gatherings, parties (lot's of spreading events).
Bidens reasoning is
- to avoid a political backlash that MAGAmedia would blame the opening of the USA for the fourth wave.
- to appease political forces, who like to see less foreigners coming into the US.
Jun 21, 2021, 1:59 pm
#1140
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Boris says unlikely - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...les-early.htmlHowever, he declined to rule out re-imposing draconian curbs later in the year as he warned 'some new horror' could emerge which 'we simply haven't budgeted for'.
Meanwhile, the PM also dashed hopes of international travel being opened up in time for summer holidays as he admitted foreign trips this year will be 'difficult' – despite ministers drawing up plans to scrap quarantine rules for returning double-jabbed Britons.
Travel experts said they fear ministers will not 'open things up very much at all until August' as the industry faces another disastrous summer. Mr Johnson said it is his priority to keep Britain 'safe' and block dangerous new Covid variants from entering the country, which means anyone looking to fly abroad in the coming months is likely to face 'hassle' and 'delays'.
Meanwhile, the PM also dashed hopes of international travel being opened up in time for summer holidays as he admitted foreign trips this year will be 'difficult' – despite ministers drawing up plans to scrap quarantine rules for returning double-jabbed Britons.
Travel experts said they fear ministers will not 'open things up very much at all until August' as the industry faces another disastrous summer. Mr Johnson said it is his priority to keep Britain 'safe' and block dangerous new Covid variants from entering the country, which means anyone looking to fly abroad in the coming months is likely to face 'hassle' and 'delays'.