covid 19: United States details new Covid-19 international travel requirements

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WASHINGTON: Two weeks before a new vaccination requirement goes into effect for most foreign travelers to the United States, the Biden administration detailed new international Covid-19 air travel policies, including exemptions for children and new federal contact tracing requirements. Starting November 8, non-immigrant foreign adults traveling to the United States will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, with a few exceptions, and all travelers will need to be tested for the virus before boarding an plane to the United States. , with tighter restrictions for those who are not fully vaccinated. The new policy comes as the Biden administration moves away from broader country-based travel restrictions and bans towards what it calls a “vaccine-based” system focused on the individual traveller’s risk. This almost mirrors the White House’s adherence to vaccination requirements in a bid to get more Americans to get vaccinated by piling up the inconvenience for those who go without a vaccine. Under the policy, those who are not vaccinated will be required to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test within one day of travel, while those who are vaccinated will be allowed to present a test performed within three days of travel. trip. Children under 18 will not be required to be fully immunized, given the inconsistency in global vaccine deployment for their age cohort, but those aged 2 and over will be subject to the same policy of Covid-19 test as their parent or guardian. The Biden administration has been working with airlines, which will be required to apply the new procedures, to explain the new policies so they can prepare for implementation. Airlines will be responsible for verifying vaccination records and comparing them to identifying information. They will also need to ensure that the injections given are on the approved list of the Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization. Mixing and pairing of approved shots will be permitted. Quarantine officers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will check passengers for compliance after they arrive in the United States, according to an administration official. Airlines that do not enforce the requirements could be subject to penalties of up to $ 35,000 per violation. The administration has announced limited exceptions to the vaccination requirement, including children, those who have participated in clinical trials for Covid-19, who have medical reasons not to be vaccinated, or who are from a country where vaccines are not widely available. Unvaccinated residents of countries with vaccination rates below 10% of adults can be admitted to the United States with a government letter authorizing travel for urgent, non-tourism purposes, the administration said. The CDC is also asking airlines to collect contact details from international air travelers, regardless of their immunization status, to facilitate contact tracing.

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