Americans who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 can travel, CDC says
People who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can travel within the United States and abroad as long as they continue to take precautions like wearing a mask, according to new guidance released Friday by the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, the latest advice — certainly welcome news for people who have been kept apart from their loved ones amid the pandemic — was couched with caution that bordered on contradiction.
“While we believe that fully vaccinated people can travel at low risk to themselves, CDC is not recommending travel at this time, due to the rising number of cases,” agency director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a briefing Friday.
Such seemingly conflicting advice by health officials can be frustrating and whiplash-inducing as there is reason for both hope, as growing numbers of Americans receive their vaccinations, and rising fear, as the number of coronavirus cases increases across the country.
“On the one hand, we are telling you we are worried about rising cases, to wear a mask and to avoid travel. Yet, on the other hand, we are saying that if you are vaccinated, said. However, all air passengers coming into the U.S. must have a negative coronavirus test result from no more than three days before their travel date.
The CDC also recommends that people get tested three to five days after travel.
Domestic travelers who are fully vaccinated — meaning two weeks have passed since their second dose of the PfizerBioNTech or Moderna vaccine or their one and only Johnson & Johnson shot — do not need to self-quarantine upon arriving at their destination and “do not need to get tested before or after travel unless their destination requires it,” according to the CDC.
That could come into play in California, where the state maintains that “nonessential travelers from other states or countries, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, are strongly discouraged.”
Though California on Thursday lifted its advisory that asked leisure travelers to stay within 120 miles of home, health officials still recommend that all travelers get tested one to three days before starting their journeys; and that nonessential travelers get tested three to five days upon arrival into California, as well as self-quarantine for a full seven days after travel, even if their test is negative.