Will New CDCs Travel Advisory Pull The Plug On Overseas Travel?
Fellow travelers, we here, at Cruisin’ With Ted, pause in disbelief, after reading the CDCs latest travel advisory on overseas travel. With all due respect, we can only wonder how this government entity comes up with such edicts without concern for their consequences or execution. But what does this recent pronouncement really mean and how in the name of Hermes, the designated God of travel, will anyone be able to navigate these treacherous waters?
Here are some the biggest head scratchers:
- All inbound passengers, regardless of citizenship status, must get tested no more than 3 days before their flight to the U.S. departs. The test must be a viral test (NAAT – Nucleic Acid Amplification Test, or antigen test).
- If the passenger has tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 3 months, she does not have to get tested again but can travel instead with documentation of her positive viral test results and a letter from her healthcare provider or a public health official that states she has been cleared for travel.
- It is the responsibility of the airline to confirm a COVID-19 negative test result or documentation of recovery for all passengers before boarding, and to deny boarding if such is not presented.
- Passengers must also fill out a CDC attestation form.
- The test result must be in the form of written documentation (paper or electronic copy) of a laboratory test and must include information that identifies the person, a specimen collection date and the type of test administered, as well as verification information, such as the name and contact information for the laboratory that performed the test.
- Upon arrival in the U.S. CDC recommends, but doesn’t require, that travelers get retested 3-5 days after travel AND stay home or otherwise self-quarantine for 7 days after travel. Note that your state may have more stringent requirements for returning travelers.
- Importantly, the order allows CDC to grant waivers based on CDC’s determination that a foreign country lacks available COVID-19 testing capacity. In our view, it is critical that CDC determine the countries for which waivers will be granted as soon as possible so you can take appropriate action to prepare your clients.
