COVID-19: USA – restrictions lifted for double vaccinated international travellers from 8 November

From 8 November restrictions on non-US Citizens who are double vaccinated will be eased. These restrictions were first imposed on China back in January 2020 by former President Donald Trump and then extended to most countries around the world.

Travel to USA from 8 November 2021

You will be required to be fully immunised with 2 vaccine doses and will need to provide a negative test result (either a nucleic acid amplification or rapid antigen test) taken with 3 days of travel to the USA. If these measures are met, you will not be required to quarantine on arrival in the US. It expected that children (under 16?) will be exempted from the vaccination provisions, but will probably need to be tested.

Immunisation using the following vaccines are acceptable:

• AstraZeneca
• Johnson & Johnson
• Moderna
• Pfizer-BioNTech
• Sinopharm
• Sinovac

So the following vaccines are excluded:

• Sputnik (Russia)
• Covaxin (India)

For the unvaccinated

Rules are changing for the vaccine ignorant Americans, including requiring a test with 24 hours of arrival in the USA (not the previous 3 days), and proof that they have arranged for a a COVID test to be taken after arrival. Complete details have not been released yet. Current rules according to the CDC are: ‘Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.’

Unvaccinated non-USA citizens or residents will not be permitted to enter the USA.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

These new rules look to be in alignment with emerging international practice, which is that you need to have recorded a negative test within 3 days (72 hours) of travel, and usually another test within a certain time limit after arrival. I expect that this will be come the new normal for international travel very soon, like before the end of 2021.

The way this needs to be evidenced may be different on different border, so check the details with the appropriate government authorities of all countries you intent to travel with, and check regularly until departure or return, as things are changing rapidly. If you are travelling to the USA – check the state requirements of the state you are arriving into too – just in case, as in Australia there are different national and state provisions.

Also, expect COVID related travel insurance to become mandatory in some jurisdictions.