On Monday the US CDC posted on its website an update to requirements for air passengers aged 2 years and older boarding an international flight to the US.
The updated requirements are:
- Regardless of vaccination status, inbound international passengers must undergo a COVID-19 viral test and provide negative result to the airline before boarding.
- If fully vaccinated, test sample must be taken no more than 3 days before departure.
- If not fully vaccinated, test sample must be taken no more than 1 day before departure.
- If recently recovered from COVID-19, passengers may instead travel with documentation of a positive COVID-19 test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before departure and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or public health official stating that they are cleared to travel.
- Children under age 18 will not be required to be fully vaccinated but those aged 2 years and older will be subject to the same testing policy as their parent or guardian.
- Other limited exceptions to the vaccination requirements include:
- Persons who participated in COVID-19 clinical trials
- Those unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons
- Unvaccinated residents of countries with vaccination rates below 10% of adults, with a government letter authorizing travel for essential, non-tourism purposes
You are considered fully vaccinated ONLY:
- 14 days after your dose of an accepted single-dose vaccine, or
- 14 days after your 2nd dose of an accepted 2-dose vaccine, or
- 14 days after receiving the full series of an active COVID-19 vaccine in the US-based Astra-Zeneca or Noravax vaccine trials, or
- 14 days after receiving 2 doses of any combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines administered at least 17 days apart
Airlines will be required to enforce and implement the new procedures, including:
- Verifying vaccine records and matching them against identity documentation
- Ensuring that passengers have been vaccinated with vaccines that are on the FDA or WHO approved list
- Collecting contact information to facilitate contact tracing
Airlines failing to enforce requirements could face penalties of up to $35,000 per violation.
CDC Quarantine Officers will spot-check arriving passengers for compliance.
