travel for covid

• COVID-19 travel advice

Considering travel during the pandemic? Take precautions to protect yourself from COVID-19.

A coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine can prevent you from getting COVID-19 or from becoming seriously ill due to COVID-19 . But even if you're vaccinated, it's still a good idea to take precautions to protect yourself and others while traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you've had all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses, including boosters, you're less likely to become seriously ill or spread COVID-19 . You can then travel more safely within the U.S. and internationally. But international travel can still increase your risk of getting new COVID-19 variants.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you should avoid travel until you've had all recommended COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses.

Before you travel

As you think about making travel plans, consider these questions:

• Have you been vaccinated against COVID-19 ? If you haven't, get vaccinated. If the vaccine requires two doses, wait two weeks after getting your second vaccine dose to travel. If the vaccine requires one dose, wait two weeks after getting the vaccine to travel. It takes time for your body to build protection after any vaccination.
• Have you had any booster doses? Having all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses, including boosters, increases your protection from serious illness.
• Are you at increased risk for severe illness? Anyone can get COVID-19 . But older adults and people of any age with certain medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 .
• Do you live with someone who's at increased risk for severe illness? If you get infected while traveling, you can spread the COVID-19 virus to the people you live with when you return, even if you don't have symptoms.
• Does your home or destination have requirements or restrictions for travelers? Even if you've had all recommended vaccine doses, you must follow local, state and federal testing and travel rules.

Check local requirements, restrictions and situations

Some state, local and territorial governments have requirements, such as requiring people to wear masks, get tested, be vaccinated or stay isolated for a period of time after arrival. Before you go, check for requirements at your destination and anywhere you might stop along the way.

Keep in mind these can change often and quickly depending on local conditions. It's also important to understand that the COVID-19 situation, such as the level of spread and presence of variants, varies in each country. Check back for updates as your trip gets closer.

Travel and testing

For vaccinated people.

If you have been fully vaccinated, the CDC states that you don't need to get tested before or after your trip within the U.S. or stay home (quarantine) after you return.

If you're planning to travel internationally outside the U.S., the CDC states you don't need to get tested before your trip unless it's required at your destination. Before arriving to the U.S., you need a negative test within the last day before your arrival or a record of recovery from COVID-19 in the last three months.

After you arrive in the U.S., the CDC recommends getting tested with a viral test 3 to 5 days after your trip. If you're traveling to the U.S. and you aren't a citizen, you need to be fully vaccinated and have proof of vaccination.

You don't need to quarantine when you arrive in the U.S. But check for any symptoms. Stay at home if you develop symptoms.

For unvaccinated people

Testing before and after travel can lower the risk of spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 . If you haven't been vaccinated, the CDC recommends getting a viral test within three days before your trip. Delay travel if you're waiting for test results. Keep a copy of your results with you when you travel.

Repeat the test 3 to 5 days after your trip. Stay home for five days after travel.

If at any point you test positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 , stay home. Stay at home and away from others if you develop symptoms. Follow public health recommendations.

Stay safe when you travel

In the U.S., you must wear a face mask on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation. The mask must fit snugly and cover both your mouth and nose.

Follow these steps to protect yourself and others when you travel:

• Get vaccinated.
• Keep distance between yourself and others (within about 6 feet, or 2 meters) when you're in indoor public spaces if you're not fully vaccinated. This is especially important if you have a higher risk of serious illness.
• Avoid contact with anyone who is sick or has symptoms.
• Avoid crowds and indoor places that have poor air flow (ventilation).
• Don't touch frequently touched surfaces, such as handrails, elevator buttons and kiosks. If you must touch these surfaces, use hand sanitizer or wash your hands afterward.
• Wear a face mask in indoor public spaces. The CDC recommends wearing the most protective mask possible that you'll wear regularly and that fits. If you are in an area with a high number of new COVID-19 cases, wear a mask in indoor public places and outdoors in crowded areas or when you're in close contact with people who aren't vaccinated.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Cover coughs and sneezes.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• If soap and water aren't available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub your hands together until they feel dry.
• Don't eat or drink on public transportation. That way you can keep your mask on the whole time.

Because of the high air flow and air filter efficiency on airplanes, most viruses such as the COVID-19 virus don't spread easily on flights. Wearing masks on planes has likely helped lower the risk of getting the COVID-19 virus on flights too.

However, air travel involves spending time in security lines and airport terminals, which can bring you in close contact with other people. Getting vaccinated and wearing a mask when traveling can help protect you from COVID-19 while traveling.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has increased cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and equipment, including bins, at screening checkpoints. TSA has also made changes to the screening process:

• Travelers must wear masks during screening. However, TSA employees may ask travelers to adjust masks for identification purposes.
• Travelers should keep a distance of 6 feet apart from other travelers when possible.
• Instead of handing boarding passes to TSA officers, travelers should place passes (paper or electronic) directly on the scanner and then hold them up for inspection.
• Each traveler may have one container of hand sanitizer up to 12 ounces (about 350 milliliters) in a carry-on bag. These containers will need to be taken out for screening.
• Personal items such as keys, wallets and phones should be placed in carry-on bags instead of bins. This reduces the handling of these items during screening.
• Food items should be carried in a plastic bag and placed in a bin for screening. Separating food from carry-on bags lessens the likelihood that screeners will need to open bags for inspection.

Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds directly before and after going through screening.

Public transportation

If you travel by bus or train and you aren't vaccinated, be aware that sitting or standing within 6 feet (2 meters) of others for a long period can put you at higher risk of getting or spreading COVID-19 . Follow the precautions described above for protecting yourself during travel.

Even if you fly, you may need transportation once you arrive at your destination. You can search car rental options and their cleaning policies on the internet. If you plan to stay at a hotel, check into shuttle service availability.

If you'll be using public transportation and you aren't vaccinated, continue physical distancing and wearing a mask after reaching your destination.

Hotels and other lodging

The hotel industry knows that travelers are concerned about COVID-19 and safety. Check any major hotel's website for information about how it's protecting guests and staff. Some best practices include:

• Enhanced cleaning procedures
• Physical distancing recommendations indoors for people who aren't vaccinated
• Mask-wearing and regular hand-washing by staff
• Mask-wearing indoors for guests in public places in areas that have high cases of COVID-19
• Vaccine recommendations for staff
• Isolation and testing guidelines for staff who've been exposed to COVID-19
• Contactless payment
• Set of rules in case a guest becomes ill, such as closing the room for cleaning and disinfecting
• Indoor air quality measures, such as regular system and air filter maintenance, and suggestions to add air cleaners that can filter viruses and bacteria from the air

Vacation rentals, too, are enhancing their cleaning procedures. They're committed to following public health guidelines, such as using masks and gloves when cleaning, and building in a waiting period between guests.

Make a packing list

When it's time to pack for your trip, grab any medications you may need on your trip and these essential safe-travel supplies:

• Alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol)
• Disinfectant wipes (at least 70% alcohol)
• Thermometer

Considerations for people at increased risk

Anyone can get very ill from the virus that causes COVID-19 . But older adults and people of any age with certain medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness. This may include people with cancer, serious heart problems and a weakened immune system. Getting the recommended COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses can help lower your risk of being severely ill from COVID-19 .

Travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19 . If you're unvaccinated, staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 . If you must travel and aren't vaccinated, talk with your health care provider and ask about any additional precautions you may need to take.

Remember safety first

Even the most detailed and organized plans may need to be set aside when someone gets ill. Stay home if you or any of your travel companions:

• Have signs or symptoms, are sick or think you have COVID-19
• Are waiting for results of a COVID-19 test
• Have been diagnosed with COVID-19
• Have had close contact with someone with COVID-19 in the past five days and you're not up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines

If you've had close contact with someone with COVID-19 , get tested after at least five days. Wait to travel until you have a negative test. Wear a mask if you travel up to 10 days after you've had close contact with someone with COVID-19 .

• How to protect yourself and others. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• Domestic travel during COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• Requirement for face masks on public transportation conveyances and at transportation hubs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/face-masks-public-transportation.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• International travel. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel/index.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• U.S citizens, U.S. nationals, U.S. lawful permanent residents, and immigrants: Travel to and from the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• Non-US. citizen, non-U.S. immigrants: Air travel to the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/noncitizens-US-air-travel.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• People with certain medical conditions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• Stay up to date with your vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• Pack smart. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/pack-smart. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• Travel: Frequently asked questions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/faqs.html. Accessed Feb. 7, 2022.
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) information. Transportation Security Administration. https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus. Accessed Feb. 7, 2022.
• WHO advice for international traffic in relation to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/articles-detail/who-advice-for-international-traffic-in-relation-to-the-sars-cov-2-omicron-variant. Accessed Feb. 7, 2022.
• VRHP/VRMA Cleaning guidelines for COVID-19. Vacation Rental Management Association. https://www.vrma.org/page/vrhp/vrma-cleaning-guidelines-for-covid-19. Accessed Feb. 7, 2022.
• Safe stay. American Hotel & Lodging Association. https://www.ahla.com/safestay. Accessed Feb. 7, 2022.
• Khatib AN, et al. COVID-19 transmission and the safety of air travel during the pandemic: A scoping review. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2021; doi:10.1097/QCO.0000000000000771.

Products and Services

• A Book: Endemic - A Post-Pandemic Playbook
• Begin Exploring Women's Health Solutions at Mayo Clinic Store
• A Book: Future Care
• Antibiotics: Are you misusing them?
• COVID-19 and vitamin D
• Convalescent plasma therapy
• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• COVID-19: How can I protect myself?
• Herd immunity and coronavirus
• COVID-19 and pets
• COVID-19 and your mental health
• COVID-19 antibody testing
• COVID-19, cold, allergies and the flu
• COVID-19 drugs: Are there any that work?
• Long-term effects of COVID-19
• COVID-19 tests
• COVID-19 in babies and children
• Coronavirus infection by race
• COVID-19 vaccine: Should I reschedule my mammogram?
• COVID-19 vaccines for kids: What you need to know
• COVID-19 vaccines
• COVID-19 variant
• COVID-19 vs. flu: Similarities and differences
• COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
• Debunking coronavirus myths
• Different COVID-19 vaccines
• Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
• Fever: First aid
• Fever treatment: Quick guide to treating a fever
• Fight coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission at home
• Honey: An effective cough remedy?
• How do COVID-19 antibody tests differ from diagnostic tests?
• How to measure your respiratory rate
• How to take your pulse
• How to take your temperature
• How well do face masks protect against COVID-19?
• Is hydroxychloroquine a treatment for COVID-19?
• Loss of smell
• Mayo Clinic Minute: You're washing your hands all wrong
• Mayo Clinic Minute: How dirty are common surfaces?
• Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pregnancy and COVID-19
• Safe outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Safety tips for attending school during COVID-19
• Sex and COVID-19
• Shortness of breath
• Thermometers: Understand the options
• Treating COVID-19 at home
• Unusual symptoms of coronavirus
• Vaccine guidance from Mayo Clinic
• Watery eyes

U.S. travel resources

• Check CDC recommendations for travel within the U.S.
• Review testing requirements for travel to the U.S.
• Look up restrictions at your destination .
• Review airport security measures .

Related resources

Make twice the impact.

Your gift can go twice as far to advance cancer research and care!

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

COVID-19 international travel advisories

If you plan to visit the U.S., you do not need to be tested or vaccinated for COVID-19. U.S. citizens going abroad, check with the Department of State for travel advisories.

COVID-19 testing and vaccine rules for entering the U.S.

• As of May 12, 2023, noncitizen nonimmigrant visitors to the U.S.  arriving by air  or  arriving by land or sea  no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 
• As of June 12, 2022,  people entering the U.S. no longer need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test . 

U.S. citizens traveling to a country outside the U.S.

Find country-specific COVID-19 travel rules from the Department of State.

See the  CDC's COVID-19 guidance for safer international travel.

LAST UPDATED: December 6, 2023

Have a question?

Ask a real person any government-related question for free. They will get you the answer or let you know where to find it.

From vaccines to testing: What travelers need to know before the new US travel system on Nov. 8

• The U.S. is launching a new travel system on Nov. 8.
• Vaccinated foreign air travelers will need to show proof of full vaccination and test for COVID-19.
• The new travel system also adds more stringent testing requirements for unvaccinated U.S. travelers.

The United States is about to make it much easier for vaccinated international travelers to visit.  

The White House announced that a new air travel system will take effect Nov. 8, allowing entry for fully vaccinated foreign tourists .  The system is set to launch nearly two years after the U.S. began imposing travel restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 . 

The move by the White House will essentially have the U.S. drop its travel ban on dozens of countries while also making entry more challenging for the unvaccinated. The new system will allow entry for foreign nationals only with vaccinations approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization and would add testing requirements for unvaccinated Americans.

Here’s what we know about the new travel requirements:

What are the entry requirements for foreign nationals?

Starting Nov. 8, non-citizen, non-immigrant air travelers   will need to show proof of full vaccination as well as a pre-departure negative coronavirus test taken within three days of travel before they can board a plane to the U.S. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Acceptable forms of proof of vaccination include:

• Digital or paper verifiable record, such as a vaccination certificate or a digital pass with a QR code.  
• Nonverifiable paper record, such as a printout of a COVID-19 vaccination record or COVID-19 vaccination certificate.
• Nonverifiable digital record, such as a digital photo of a vaccination card or record, downloaded vaccine record, downloaded vaccination certificate or a mobile phone application without a QR code.  

The U.S. will accept nucleic acid amplification tests, including PCR tests, and antigen tests. The rules will go into effect for passengers on planes leaving for the U.S. at or after 12:01 a.m. ET on Nov. 8.  

Airlines will collect basic personal contact information   from all U.S.-bound travelers for contact tracing. Airlines are required to keep the information on hand so the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   can reach out to travelers who may have been infected or exposed to COVID-19.

Masking will be required, but there will be no quarantine mandate for vaccinated travelers or unvaccinated children .

► US  travel bans: How COVID-19 travel restrictions have impacted families and couples

The change will make entering the U.S. possible for travelers from countries now listed on the U.S. travel ban, which prohibits entry for travelers who have been in any of the regions within the past 14 days. The travel ban  took effect in early 2020 and includes :

• United Kingdom
• Republic of Ireland
• South Africa
• The European Schengen area (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City)

Currently, the U.S. asks international air passengers only to get tested within three days of their flight to the U.S. and show either the negative test result or proof of recovery  from COVID-19 before boarding. 

What about the land borders with Mexico and Canada?

New travel rules will also take effect for foreign nationals arriving by land or passenger ferry.

Starting Nov. 8, fully vaccinated foreign nationals can cross the land borders for nonessential reasons such as tourism or visiting friends and family . These travelers will need to verbally attest to their reason for travel and vaccination status and be prepared to show proof of vaccination  upon request. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will accept both digital and paper records showing proof of vaccination, including documents not in English.   Foreign nationals will also need appropriate travel documentation to enter the country.  

CBP will spot-check travelers' vaccination documents, and those without documented proof of vaccination can be denied entry. Travelers under 18 will be exempt from the vaccination requirement as long as they are traveling with a fully vaccinated adult, according to Matthew Davies, CBP's executive director of admissibility and passenger programs.  

The new travel rules will go into effect as soon as a port of entry opens on Nov. 8, or at midnight for ports that operate 24 hours a day changes will go into effect at midnight on Nov. 8 for ports that operation 24 hours a day.  

U.S. citizens reentering the country should also bring a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative document, such as a valid passport, trusted traveler program card, enhanced driver's license or enhanced tribal card. 

Entry rules along the border will change again in early January, with all travelers – including those traveling for essential purposes – required to show proof of full vaccination. 

► US land borders: Travelers in Mexico and Canada plan their next US visit after new land border policy announced

Which vaccines does the US accept for travel?

The CDC has announced that vaccines approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and World Health Organization will be accepted for air travel. White House officials expect the CDC to approve the same vaccines for travelers entering the U.S. by land or ferry.  

The FDA has authorized three COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use during the pandemic: Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer-BioNTech, the last of which has received the FDA's full stamp of approval.

Vaccines with WHO approval for emergency use include:

• Johnson & Johnson
• Pfizer-BioNTech
• Oxford-AstraZeneca/Covishield 

The CDC confirmed that it would accept a mix-and-match approach to vaccinations. Travelers who have any combination of FDA- or WHO-approved vaccines will be considered fully vaccinated.

The new travel policy does not accept foreign travelers who have had COVID and received just one shot in a two-dose series. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the administration will "continue to review" its entry requirements.  

► Covaxin gets WHO emergency approval: Travelers vaccinated with Covaxin can enter US   

► 'You feel lonely and left out': These fully vaccinated travelers want to visit the US. They may not be allowed in.

How do the new rules affect kids? 

Foreign nationals under 18 are exempt from the vaccination requirement. Children under two will not need to take a pre-departure COVID test.

Kids 2 and older traveling with a fully vaccinated adult can test three days prior to departure, while children traveling alone or with unvaccinated adults will need to get tested within one day of departure. 

Currently, all air passengers 2 or older, including U.S. citizens and permanent residents, need to show a negative coronavirus test to fly to the U.S.

What are the entry requirements for Americans?

The new travel system adds more stringent testing requirements for unvaccinated U.S. travelers.

Starting Nov. 8, unvaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents will need to take a test one day before departure and test again upon arrival in the U.S. 

► New travel rules: What US travelers need to know about the new COVID rules for international flights

Entry requirements will not change for vaccinated Americans. They will still need to show proof of a negative coronavirus test taken no more than three days before departure. 

Americans will not need to be fully vaccinated to board international flights to the U.S.

Are there any exemptions?

There is a limited set of travelers who are exempt from the vaccine requirement for entry.

Children under 18, certain COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial participants and travelers with adverse reactions to the vaccines – such as people who have had severe anaphylactic allergic reactions to a prior COVID-19 vaccine –  will be exempt.

People traveling on non-tourist visas from countries with less than 10% of its population vaccinated who need to enter the U.S. for emergency or humanitarian reasons are also exempt from the vaccine requirement. There are about 50 countries considered to have low vaccine availability at this time.

These exempt travelers will generally need to show that they will comply with public health mandates, including a requirement to be vaccinated in the U.S. if they plan to stay more than 60 days.  

Unless they have recovered from COVID-19 within the last 90 days, unvaccinated travelers  must agree to be tested with a COVID-19 viral test three to five days after their arrival and quarantine for seven days, even if their post-arrival test comes back negative. 

Unvaccinated travelers who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must also agree to self-isolate if their post-arrival test is positive or if they develop COVID-19 symptoms. 

Unvaccinated children under 18 will not need to quarantine but will still need to take a post-arrival test. 

► Who is exempt?: These select groups of unvaccinated foreign travelers can enter the US

The CDC will not give exemptions  to people who object to the vaccinations due to religious or moral convictions. 

There will also be testing accommodations for travelers who can prove they recently recovered from the coronavirus. These travelers will need to show a positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before their flight's departure and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or public health official saying they are cleared for travel.  

Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz . 

Travel Restrictions to Prevent the Spread of Disease

Credit: David Snyder

Disease is just a flight away. To protect America’s health, CDC partners with the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the spread of serious contagious diseases during travel. CDC uses a Do Not Board list to prevent travelers from boarding commercial airplanes if they are known or suspected to have a contagious disease that poses a threat to the public’s health. Sick travelers are also placed on a Lookout list so they will be detected if they attempt to enter the United States by land or sea. These tools can be used for anyone who poses a threat to the public’s health.

Local and state public health officials can request CDC’s assistance if a person who poses a public health threat intends to travel. CDC helps ensure these people do not travel while contagious.

Placing people on the lists

The criteria for adding people to the Do Not Board and Lookout lists are

• not  aware of diagnosis or not  following public health recommendations, or
• Likely to travel on a commercial flight involving the United States or travel internationally by any means; or
• Need to issue travel restriction to respond to a public health outbreak or to help enforce a public health order.

Criteria number one plus one of the three subsets must be met for a person to be placed on the Do Not Board and Lookout lists.

Credit: David Heaberlin

Once a person is placed on these lists, airlines will not issue a boarding pass to the person for any commercial flight within, arriving to, or departing from the United States.

The Do Not Board and Lookout lists have been used for people with suspected or confirmed infectious tuberculosis (TB), including multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), and measles. During 2020-2022, CDC used these authorities to restrict travel of people with COVID-19 and close contacts who were recommended to quarantine. These authorities were also used for mpox during 2022. Travel restrictions can also be used for other suspected or confirmed contagious diseases that could pose a public health threat during travel, including viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola.

Preventing people with contagious diseases from traveling also helps to make sure they get or continue medical treatment, such as for infectious tuberculosis.

Taking people off the lists

Once public health authorities confirm a person is no longer contagious, the person is removed from the lists (typically within 24 hours). Also, CDC reviews the records of all persons on the lists every two weeks to determine whether they are eligible for removal.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Travel Restrictions to Prevent the Spread of Disease

• Importation
• Southern Border Health and Migration
• Travelers' Health
• Vessel Sanitation Program
• Funding and Guidance for State and Local Health Departments
• Emergency Preparedness and Response
• Division of Global Migration Health

Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
• Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
• You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
• CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Fact Sheets

Frequently Asked Questions: Guidance for Travelers to Enter the U.S.

Updated Date: April 21, 2022

Since January 22, 2022, DHS has required non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination upon request.  On April 21, 2022, DHS announced that it would extend these requirements. In determining whether and when to rescind this order, DHS anticipates that it will take account of whether the vaccination requirement for non-U.S. air travelers remains in place.

These requirements apply to non-U.S. individuals who are traveling for essential or non-essential reasons. They do not apply to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, or U.S. nationals.

Effective November 8, 2021, new air travel requirements applied to many noncitizens who are visiting the United States temporarily. These travelers are also required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. All air travelers, including U.S. persons, must test negative for COVID-19 prior to departure. Limited exceptions apply. See  CDC guidance  for more details regarding air travel requirements.

Below is more information about what to know before you go, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions about cross-border travel.

Entering the U.S. Through a Land Port of Entry or Ferry Terminal

Q. what are the requirements for travelers entering the united states through land poes.

A:  Before embarking on a trip to the United States, non-U.S. travelers should be prepared for the following:

• Possess proof of an approved COVID-19 vaccination as outlined on the  CDC  website.
• During border inspection, verbally attest to their COVID-19 vaccination status. 
• Bring a  Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative  compliant border crossing document, such as a valid passport (and visa if required), Trusted Traveler Program card, a Department of State-issued Border Crossing Card, Enhanced Driver’s License or Enhanced Tribal Card when entering the country. Travelers (including U.S. citizens) should be prepared to present the WHTI-compliant document and any other documents requested by the CBP officer.

 Q. What are the requirements to enter the United States for children under the age of 18 who can't be vaccinated?

A:  Children under 18 years of age are excepted from the vaccination requirement at land and ferry POEs.

Q: Which vaccines/combination of vaccines will be accepted?

A:  Per CDC guidelines, all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and authorized vaccines, as well as all vaccines that have an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization (WHO), will be accepted.

Accepted Vaccines:

• More details are available in CDC guidance  here .
• 2 weeks (14 days) after your dose of an accepted single-dose COVID-19 vaccine;
• 2 weeks (14 days) after your second dose of an accepted 2-dose series;
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine (not placebo) in a clinical trial;
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines administered at least 17 days apart.

Q. Is the United States requiring travelers to have a booster dose to be considered fully vaccinated for border entry purposes?

A:  No. The CDC guidance for “full vaccination” can be found here.

Q: Do U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents need proof of vaccination to return to the United States via land POEs and ferry terminals?

A:  No. Vaccination requirements do not apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs). Travelers that exhibit signs or symptoms of illness will be referred to CDC for additional medical evaluation.

Q: Is pre- or at-arrival COVID testing required to enter the United States via land POEs or ferry terminals?

A: No, there is no COVID testing requirement to enter the United States via land POE or ferry terminals. In this respect, the requirement for entering by a land POE or ferry terminal differs from arrival via air, where there is a requirement to have a negative test result before departure.

Processing Changes Announced on January 22, 2022 

Q: new changes were recently announced. what changed on january 22.

A:  Since January 22, 2022, non-citizens who are not U.S. nationals or Lawful Permanent Residents have been required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the United States at land ports of entry and ferry terminals, whether for essential or nonessential purposes. Previously, DHS required that non-U.S. persons be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the United States for nonessential purposes.  Effective January 22, all non-U.S. individuals, to include essential travelers, must be prepared to attest to vaccination status and present proof of vaccination to a CBP officer upon request. DHS announced an extension of this policy on April 21, 2022.

Q: Who is affected by the changes announced on January 22?

A: This requirement does not apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents. It applies to other noncitizens, such as a citizen of Mexico, Canada, or any other country seeking to enter the United States through a land port of entry or ferry terminal.

Q: Do U.S. citizens need proof of vaccination to return to the United States via land port of entry or ferry terminals?

A: Vaccination requirements do not apply to U.S. Citizens, U.S. nationals or U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents. Travelers that exhibit signs or symptoms of illness will be referred to CDC for additional medical evaluation. 

Q: What is essential travel?

A:  Under the prior policy, there was an exception from temporary travel restrictions for “essential travel.” Essential travel included travel to attend educational institutions, travel to work in the United States, travel for emergency response and public health purposes, and travel for lawful cross-border trade (e.g., commercial truckers). Under current policy, there is no exception for essential travel.

Q: Will there be any exemptions? 

A: While most non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States will need to be vaccinated, there is a narrow list of exemptions consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Order in the air travel context.

• Certain categories of individuals on diplomatic or official foreign government travel as specified in the CDC Order
• Children under 18 years of age;
• Certain participants in certain COVID-19 vaccine trials as specified in the CDC Order;   
• Individuals with medical contraindications to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine as specified in the CDC Order;
• Individuals issued a humanitarian or emergency exception by the Secretary of Homeland Security;
• Individuals with valid nonimmigrant visas (excluding B-1 [business] or B-2 [tourism] visas) who are citizens of a country with limited COVID-19 vaccine availability, as specified in the CDC Order
• Members of the U.S. Armed Forces or their spouses or children (under 18 years of age) as specified in the CDC Order; and
• Individuals whose entry would be in the U.S. national interest, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Q: What documentation will be required to show vaccination status?

A:  Non-U.S. individuals are required to be prepared to attest to vaccination status and present proof of vaccination to a CBP officer upon request regardless of the purpose of travel.

The current documentation requirement remains the same and is available on the CDC website . Documentation requirements for entry at land ports of entry and ferry terminals mirror those for entry by air.

Q: What happens if someone doesn’t have proof of vaccine status?

A: If non-U.S. individuals cannot present proof of vaccination upon request, they will not be admitted into the United States and will either be subject to removal or be allowed to withdraw their application for entry.

Q: Will incoming travelers be required to present COVID-19 test results?

A: There is no COVID-19 testing requirement for travelers at land border ports of entry, including ferry terminals.

Q: What does this mean for those who can't be vaccinated, either due to age or other health considerations? 

A: See CDC guidance for additional information on this topic. Note that the vaccine requirement does not apply to children under 18 years of age.

Q: Does this requirement apply to amateur and professional athletes?

A: Yes, unless they qualify for one of the narrow CDC exemptions.

Q: Are commercial truckers required to be vaccinated?

A: Yes, unless they qualify for one of the narrow CDC exemptions. These requirements also apply to bus drivers as well as rail and ferry operators.

Q. Do you expect border wait times to increase?

A:  As travelers navigate these new travel requirements, wait times may increase. Travelers should account for the possibility of longer than normal wait times and lines at U.S. land border crossings when planning their trip and are kindly encouraged to exercise patience.

To help reduce wait times and long lines, travelers can take advantage of innovative technology, such as facial biometrics and the CBP OneTM mobile application, which serves as a single portal for individuals to access CBP mobile applications and services.

Q: How is Customs and Border Protection staffing the ports of entry? 

A: CBP’s current staffing levels at ports of entry throughout the United States are commensurate with pre-pandemic levels. CBP has continued to hire and train new employees throughout the pandemic. CBP expects some travelers to be non-compliant with the proof of vaccination requirements, which may at times lead to an increase in border wait times. Although trade and travel facilitation remain a priority, we cannot compromise national security, which is our primary mission. CBP Office of Field Operations will continue to dedicate its finite resources to the processing of arriving traffic with emphasis on trade facilitation to ensure economic recovery.

Q: What happens if a vaccinated individual is traveling with an unvaccinated individual?  

A:  The unvaccinated individual (if 18 or over) would not be eligible for admission.

Q: If I am traveling for an essential reason but am not vaccinated can I still enter?

A:  No, if you are a non-U.S. individual. The policy announced on January 22, 2022 applies to both essential and non-essential travel by non-U.S. individual travelers. Since January 22, DHS has required that all inbound non-U.S. individuals crossing U.S. land or ferry POEs – whether for essential or non-essential reasons – be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination upon request.

Q: Are sea crew members on vessels required to have a COVID vaccine to disembark?

A:  Sea crew members traveling pursuant to a C-1 or D nonimmigrant visa are not excepted from COVID-19 vaccine requirements at the land border. This is a difference from the international air transportation context.

Entering the U.S. via Air Travel

Q: what are the covid vaccination requirements for air passengers to the united states  .

A:  According to CDC requirements [www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/noncitizens-US-air-travel.html | Link no longer valid], most noncitizens who are visiting the United States temporarily must be fully vaccinated prior to boarding a flight to the United States. These travelers are required to show proof of vaccination. A list of covered individuals is available on the CDC website.  

Q: What are the COVID testing requirements for air passengers to the United States?  

A:  Effective Sunday, June 12 at 12:01 a.m. ET, CDC will no longer require pre-departure COVID-19 testing for U.S.-bound air travelers.

• Border Security
• Transportation Security
• Airport Security
• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Coronavirus Updates

The u.s. lifts the pandemic travel ban and opens the doors to international visitors.

The Associated Press

Passengers walk through Salt Lake City International Airport, Oct. 27, 2020. More than a year and a half after COVID-19 concerns prompted the U.S. to close its borders to international travelers from countries including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the U.K. and much of Europe, restrictions are shifting to focus on vaccine status. Rick Bowmer/AP hide caption

Passengers walk through Salt Lake City International Airport, Oct. 27, 2020. More than a year and a half after COVID-19 concerns prompted the U.S. to close its borders to international travelers from countries including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the U.K. and much of Europe, restrictions are shifting to focus on vaccine status.

The U.S. lifted restrictions Monday on travel from a long list of countries including Mexico, Canada and most of Europe, allowing tourists to make long-delayed trips and family members to reconnect with loved ones after more than a year and a half apart because of the pandemic.

Starting Monday, the U.S. is accepting fully vaccinated travelers at airports and land borders, doing away with a COVID-19 restriction that dates back to the Trump administration. The new rules allow air travel from previously restricted countries as long as the traveler has proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test. Land travel from Mexico and Canada will require proof of vaccination but no test.

Airlines are expecting more travelers from Europe and elsewhere. Data from travel and analytics firm Cirium showed airlines are increasing flights between the United Kingdom and the U.S. by 21% this month over last month.

The change will have a profound effect on the borders with Mexico and Canada, where traveling back and forth was a way of life until the pandemic hit and the U.S. shut down nonessential travel.

Malls, restaurants and Main Street shops in U.S. border towns have been devastated by the lack of visitors from Mexico. On the boundary with Canada, cross-border hockey rivalries were community traditions until being upended by the pandemic. Churches that had members on both sides of the border are hoping to welcome parishioners they haven't seen during COVID-19 shutdown.

Loved ones have missed holidays, birthdays and funerals while nonessential air travel was barred, and they are now eager to reconnect.

River Robinson's American partner wasn't able to be in Canada for the birth of their baby boy 17 months ago because of pandemic-related border closures. She was thrilled to hear the U.S. is reopening its land crossings to vaccinated travelers.

"I'm planning to take my baby down for the American Thanksgiving," said Robinson, who lives in St. Thomas, Ontario. "If all goes smoothly at the border I'll plan on taking him down as much as I can. Is crazy to think he has a whole other side of the family he hasn't even met yet."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. will accept travelers who have been fully vaccinated with any of the vaccines approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization, not just those in use in the U.S. That means that the AstraZeneca vaccine, widely used in Canada, will be accepted.

For air travelers, the airlines are required to verify vaccine records and match them against ID, and if they don't, they could face fines of up to nearly $35,000 per violation. Airlines will also collect information about passengers for contact tracing efforts. There will be CDC workers spot-checking travelers for compliance in the U.S. At land borders, Customs and Border Protection agents will check vaccine proof.

The moves come as the U.S. has seen its COVID-19 outlook improve dramatically in recent weeks since the summer delta surge that pushed hospitals to the brink in many locations.

Advertisement

Supported by

What to Know About the C.D.C. Guidelines on Vaccinated Travel

In updated recommendations, the federal health agency said both domestic and international travel was low risk for fully vaccinated Americans. But travel remains far from simple.

• Share full article

By Ceylan Yeginsu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance for fully vaccinated Americans in April, saying that traveling both domestically and internationally was low risk.

The long-awaited recommendations were issued by federal health officials after a series of studies found that vaccines administered in the United States were robustly effective in preventing infections in real-life conditions.

One is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or two weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shots.

If you decide to travel, you might still have some questions. Here are the answers.

Will I still need to wear a mask and socially distance while traveling?

Yes. Under federal law, masks must be worn at airports in the United States, onboard domestic flights and in all transport hubs. The C.D.C. says that as long as coronavirus measures are taken in these scenarios, including mask wearing, fully vaccinated Americans can travel domestically without having to take a test or quarantine, although the agency warns that some states and territories may keep their local travel restrictions and recommendations in place.

For those wishing to travel internationally, a coronavirus test will not be required before departure from the United States unless mandated by the government of their destination. Vaccinated travelers are still required to get tested three days before travel by air into the United States, and are advised to take a test three to five days after their return, but will not need to self-quarantine.

Can I go abroad?

Yes, but only to countries that will have you.

More than half the world’s countries have reopened to tourists from the United States, including the countries of the European Union , which on June 18 added the United States to its “safe list” of countries, meaning that American travelers can now visit. While the European Union aims to take a coordinated approach to travel this summer, member states will be allowed to set their own requirements for travelers from individual countries based on their own epidemiological criteria, which means they may require testing or vaccination.

Some places like Turkey, Croatia and Montenegro had already been welcoming Americans with negative test results. Greece joined that growing list in May, ahead of most European countries, opening to fully vaccinated tourists and other foreigners with a negative test.

Many Caribbean nations have reopened to American tourists, but each has its own coronavirus protocols and entry requirements.

Here’s a full list of countries Americans can currently travel to.

What about domestic travel? Is it free and clear to cross state borders?

If you are fully vaccinated, the C.D.C. says you can travel freely within the United States and that you do not need to get tested, or self-quarantine, before or after traveling. But some states and local governments may choose to keep travel restrictions in place, including testing, quarantine and stay-at-home orders. Hawaii , for instance, still has travel restrictions in place.

Before you travel across state lines, check the current rules at your destination.

How are they going to check that I’m fully vaccinated?

Right now, the best way to prove that you have been vaccinated is to show your vaccine card .

Digital vaccine and health certificates showing that people have been vaccinated or tested are in various stages of development around the world and are expected, eventually, to be widely used to speed up travel.

The subject of “ vaccine passports ” is currently one of the most hotly debated topics within the travel industry, with questions over the equity of their use and concerns over health and data privacy.

In early April, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida issued an executive order that would ban local governments and state businesses from requiring proof of vaccination for services.

And in March, the European Union endorsed its own vaccine certificate , which some countries are already using, with more expected to adopt it by July 1.

But what about my kids? What’s the guidance on traveling with unvaccinated people?

The C.D.C. advises people against travel unless they have been vaccinated. If you must travel, the agency recommends testing one to three days before a trip and following all coronavirus guidance at your destination.

In May, the F.D.A. expanded its emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to include adolescents between 12 and 15 years of age.

All air passengers aged two and older coming into the United States, including fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative Covid-19 test result taken no more than three days before they board their flight.

What is my moral obligation to the places I visit where most people are not vaccinated?

The United States inoculation rollout has been among the fastest in the world, but there is a stark gap between its rapid rollout and the vaccination programs in different countries. Some nations have yet to report a single dose being administered.

Many countries are currently seeing a surge in new cases and are implementing strict coronavirus protocols, including mask mandates in public spaces, capacity limits at restaurants and tourist sites and other lockdown restrictions.

It is important to check coronavirus case rates, measures and medical infrastructure before traveling to your destination and not to let your guard down when you get there. Even though you are fully vaccinated, you may still be able to transmit the disease to local communities who have not yet been inoculated.

You can track coronavirus vaccination rollouts around the world here.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation.

Ceylan Yeginsu is a London-based reporter. She joined The Times in 2013, and was previously a correspondent in Turkey covering politics, the migrant crisis, the Kurdish conflict, and the rise of Islamic State extremism in Syria and the region. More about Ceylan Yeginsu

International Travel Restrictions by Country

Find out where you can travel and covid-19 policies.

Select origin country, search destination or select a country on the map to see travel restrictions.

The travel status of individual countries can change suddenly, and we know it can be hard to stay on top of it all. That's why we're getting you the information you need to consider when planning travel. Learn about country-specific entry requirements such as the border status, COVID-19 testing requirements, and quarantine requirements. Many countries are reopening their borders for international travel. Find out which countries are open to vaccinated travelers.

Just enter your departure country above - the map will update to reflect countries' opening status and any entry requirements for air travelers. Before you book, be sure to double check your country's official government site.

Destinations you can travel to now

Dominican republic, netherlands, philippines, puerto rico, switzerland, united arab emirates, united kingdom, know when to go.

Sign up for email alerts as countries begin to open - choose the destinations you're interested in so you're in the know.

Filter by region, status and more

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Albania.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Algeria.

American Samoa

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter American Samoa.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Angola.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Anguilla.

Antigua And Barbuda

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Antigua And Barbuda.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Argentina.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Armenia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Aruba.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Australia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Austria.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Azerbaijan.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Bahrain.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Bangladesh.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Barbados.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Belgium.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Belize.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Benin.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Bermuda.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Bhutan.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Bolivia.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Botswana.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Brazil.

British Virgin Islands

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the British Virgin Islands.

Brunei Darussalam

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Brunei Darussalam.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Bulgaria.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Burundi.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Cambodia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Cameroon.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Canada.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Cape Verde.

Caribbean Netherlands

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Caribbean Netherlands.

Cayman Islands

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Cayman Islands.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Chad.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Chile.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter China.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Colombia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Comoros.

Cook Islands

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Cook Islands.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Costa Rica.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Croatia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Curaçao.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Cyprus.

Czech Republic

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Czech Republic.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Denmark.

Fully vaccinated visitors from the United States can enter Djibouti without restrictions.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Dominica.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Dominican Republic.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, need to quarantine to enter East Timor.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Ecuador.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Egypt.

El Salvador

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter El Salvador.

Equatorial Guinea

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Equatorial Guinea.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Eritrea.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Estonia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Eswatini.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Ethiopia.

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas).

Faroe Islands

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Faroe Islands.

Federated States of Micronesia

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Federated States of Micronesia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Fiji.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Finland.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter France.

French Guiana

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter French Guiana.

French Polynesia

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter French Polynesia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Gabon.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Gambia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Georgia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Germany.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Ghana.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Gibraltar.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Greece.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Greenland.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Grenada.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Guadeloupe.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Guam.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Guatemala.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Guinea.

Guinea-Bissau

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Guinea-Bissau.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Guyana.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Honduras.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Hong Kong.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Hungary.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Iceland.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter India.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Indonesia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Ireland.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Italy.

Ivory Coast

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Ivory Coast.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Jamaica.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Japan.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Jersey.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Jordan.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Kazakhstan.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Kenya.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Kiribati.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Kosovo.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Kuwait.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Kyrgyzstan.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Laos.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Latvia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Lesotho.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Liberia.

Liechtenstein

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Liechtenstein.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Lithuania.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Luxembourg.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Macau.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Madagascar.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Malawi.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Malaysia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Maldives.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Malta.

Marshall Islands

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Marshall Islands.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Martinique.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Mauritania.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Mauritius.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Mayotte.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Mexico.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Moldova.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Mongolia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Montenegro.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Montserrat.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Mozambique.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Namibia.

Fully vaccinated visitors from the United States can enter Nauru without restrictions.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Nepal.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Netherlands.

New Caledonia

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter New Caledonia.

New Zealand

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter New Zealand.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Nicaragua.

Fully vaccinated visitors from the United States can enter Niger without restrictions.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Nigeria.

North Macedonia

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter North Macedonia.

Northern Mariana Islands

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Northern Mariana Islands.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Norway.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Oman.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Pakistan.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Palau.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Panama.

Papua New Guinea

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Papua New Guinea.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Paraguay.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Peru.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Philippines.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Poland.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Portugal.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Puerto Rico.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Qatar.

Republic of the Congo

Fully vaccinated visitors from the United States can enter Republic of the Congo without restrictions.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Réunion.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Romania.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Rwanda.

Saint Barthélemy

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Saint Barthélemy.

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Saint Lucia

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Saint Lucia.

Saint Martin

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Saint Martin.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Samoa.

São Tomé and Príncipe

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter São Tomé and Príncipe.

Saudi Arabia

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Saudi Arabia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Senegal.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Serbia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Seychelles.

Sierra Leone

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Sierra Leone.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Singapore.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Slovakia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Slovenia.

Solomon Islands

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Solomon Islands.

South Africa

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter South Africa.

South Korea

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter South Korea.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Spain.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Sri Lanka.

St. Maarten

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter St. Maarten.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Sudan.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Suriname.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Sweden.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Switzerland.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Taiwan.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Tajikistan.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Tanzania.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Thailand.

The Bahamas

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter The Bahamas.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Togo.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Tonga.

Trinidad and Tobago

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Trinidad and Tobago.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Tunisia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Türkiye.

Turkmenistan

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, will not be allowed to enter Turkmenistan.

Turks and Caicos Islands

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Tuvalu.

U.S. Virgin Islands

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Uganda.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the United Arab Emirates.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter the United Kingdom.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Uruguay.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Uzbekistan.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Vanuatu.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Vietnam.

Wallis and Futuna

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Wallis and Futuna.

Western Sahara

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, will not be allowed to enter Western Sahara.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Zambia.

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Zimbabwe.

Get trip-ready with at-home COVID-19 tests

How often is the data on this page updated.

We check for travel restriction information from government authorities daily, and update the page any time we get new information. The following information regarding travel restrictions for each country is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication.

How many countries are closed to visitors?

As of Sep 11, 2 countries have completely restricted entry to non-citizens and 5 are open but require quarantine and/or a negative COVID test.

Where can I travel without COVID restrictions?

Currently you can travel from the United States to 197 countries without restrictions. Please check our map to learn more.

Are there any other types of travel restrictions besides COVID-19 tests and quarantines?

These are the two main types of restrictions or requirements needed to travel into another country. However, the COVID-19 testing options are continually widening as new methods are developed. Different countries may accept results from different or multiple test types, so be sure to check the individual country's specific requirements.

What should I do if I get COVID-19 while in another country?

If you get COVID-19 while in another country, follow the local authority's recommendations. These may include hospitalization, self-isolating and testing in that country. Be sure to contact your travel insurance company and travel provider as well and inform them of your situation.

What should I do if the borders of the country I am visiting close?

Depending on your home country, you may need to change your departure date and return home as soon as possible. If that's the case, contact your travel provider to find the earliest departure.

Additional resources

• What you need to know
• Airline policies
• Hotel policies
• Car policies
• Tips for flying
• Tips for hotel
• Tips for vacation rental

If you're looking for personalized travel advice for your own travel plans like whether or not a restriction applies to your trip, we won't be able to answer any questions or offer advice. Please consult your local government's resources.

National Geographic content straight to your inbox—sign up for our popular newsletters here

Should you still travel if you have Covid?

With rules relaxed, it can be hard to know what to do if you test positive before a trip. Does catching the virus still spell the end for your plans?

Compulsory PCR tests, face   masks, vaccination certificates   — at the height of the pandemic, travel meant navigating reams   of red tape and checking a   long list of requirements before you’d even set foot on a plane. Now the rules have been relaxed, travellers are largely responsible for making their own decisions should they test positive. From   the legal requirements to the moral debate, here’s what you need to know.

What’s the official advice?  

In the UK, there’s no legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive for the virus, and current NHS advice for adults is to ‘try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days’. So travelling with Covid is permitted — but you have to accept that you risk passing the virus to others.  

Which countries still impose restrictions?  

Europe has scrapped all Covid entry rules, but it’s worth noting that some countries in the rest of the world still don’t let you travel freely. Tourist destinations such as the Philippines, Bolivia and China still have entry requirements in place; for example, the latter insists that visitors take a lateral flow/rapid antigen test at least 48 hours before boarding a flight, among other restrictions. While many operators, including airlines, have removed the requirement to wear a mask while travelling, some countries including China insist on it in some circumstances.

To avoid unnecessary surprises on arrival, consult the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s (FCDO) travel advice pages for each country that you’re planning to visit or travel through. Take note of the entry requirements section, which will show whether the destination currently has any Covid-specific rules or restrictions in place.

Should I still cancel my trip if I test positive?  

Now that travellers are largely no longer legally obliged to take a test or disclose the result, it’s important to make an informed decision. No one wants to miss out on a planned trip, but virologist Stephen Griffin encourages people to “prioritise the most vulnerable people in our society”. According to the Office for National Statistics, the risk of death involving Covid remains significantly greater for the immunocompromised — on your next flight, for example, you could be sitting next to someone who’s more vulnerable because they’ve just finished chemotherapy. The guilt of potentially infecting other travellers could be enough to cast a shadow over any getaway.  

How easy is it to change your travel plans?  

Often, it’s not very easy at all. Most operators have scrapped cancellation policies introduced during the pandemic, and are well within their rights to tell you to take the trip or forfeit your rights if you test positive.Travel writer Lottie Gross recently found herself wrangling with a campsite for a refund after notifying the owners she’d tested positive and being asked by them to stay away. “I don’t entirely regret my decision to inform the campsite of my Covid infection,” she says, “but it was a little frustrating to be told I couldn’t go and that I also couldn’t have a refund.”  

If this happens, there may still be options open to you. “You could claim on your travel insurance if your policy covers it and you’re able to provide evidence of your positive test,” says Confused.com’s lifestyle insurance expert Matthew Harwood. “This will vary depending on the provider and their specific terms and conditions, so always double-check what you’ll be covered for before buying a policy.”

It’s also worth checking the small print in your travel booking, as your terms and conditions could legally compel you to divulge test results to your tour operator, accommodation provider or airline.  

What precautions should I take if I still want to travel?  

If you test positive ahead of a trip and want to minimise the risk of spreading the infection, Professor Griffin advises taking “every precaution to reduce interactions with other people”. He says: “Stay outside (on a ferry deck, for example) or in well-ventilated spaces if possible, and wear a well-fitted, filtering respirator mask, ideally an FFP3, unless distanced from others.”

FREE BONUS ISSUE

Related topics.

• PUBLIC HEALTH
• EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL
• CORONAVIRUS

You May Also Like

This airline is now weighing passengers — but why?

The new rules on carrying liquids through UK airport security

The essential guide to visiting Texas

An insider's guide to Denver, Colorado's wildly creative capital

10 reasons to visit the East Coast in 2024

• Environment
• Perpetual Planet
• History & Culture

History & Culture

• History Magazine
• Mind, Body, Wonder
• Paid Content
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Nat Geo Home
• Attend a Live Event
• Book a Trip
• Inspire Your Kids
• Shop Nat Geo
• Visit the D.C. Museum
• Learn About Our Impact
• Support Our Mission
• Advertise With Us
• Customer Service
• Renew Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Work at Nat Geo
• Sign Up for Our Newsletters
• Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

You are using an outdated browser. Upgrade your browser today or install Google Chrome Frame to better experience this site.

• Section 5 - Chikungunya
• Section 5 - Dengue

CDC Yellow Book 2024

The content of this page has been updated to reflect the CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance .

Author(s): Cria Perrine and Aron Hall

Infectious Agent

Transmission, epidemiology, clinical presentation.

INFECTIOUS AGENT: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

TRAVELER CATEGORIES AT GREATEST RISK FOR EXPOSURE & INFECTION

PREVENTION METHODS

COVID-19 is a vaccine preventable disease

Avoiding crowded, poorly ventilated indoor spaces

Respiratory protection (wearing a well-fitting mask or respirator)

Respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene

DIAGNOSTIC SUPPORT

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus that belongs to the family  Coronaviridae , genus  Betacoronavirus . SARS-CoV-2 has continued to evolve since it first emerged in late 2019. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) began labeling key variants by Greek letters. As of 2023, WHO will only assign Greek letters to variants of concern, indicating increase in disease severity, likelihood of substantially impacting the healthcare system, or significant decrease in effectiveness of vaccines in protecting against severe illness.

SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted from person to person by airborne particles and droplets that carry infectious virus. When an infected person breathes, sings, talks, coughs, or sneezes, they release infectious aerosol particles into the air. Exposure can occur when aerosol particles and small respiratory droplets are inhaled or contact exposed mucous membranes. Indoors, fine droplets and aerosol particles can linger and accumulate, even after an infected person has left the room. The risk of infection generally increases with closer contact and with longer durations of contact with an infected person, particularly in poorly ventilated indoor or crowded settings. Activities that increase emission of respiratory fluids such as singing, cheering, or exercising can increase risk of transmission. Infection from contaminated surfaces or objects is possible but generally does not contribute significantly to new infections.

People with COVID-19 can be infectious from 1–2 days before and up to 8–10 days after symptoms begin. The majority of transmission appears to occur during the early periods of infection, particularly in the 1–2 days before symptoms start and within the first few days of symptom onset. This period of infectiousness may be reduced slightly but has been fairly consistent since SARS-CoV-2 emerged. Individuals who are asymptomatic can also transmit the virus.

Outbreaks of COVID-19 have occurred in multiple travel-related settings, including cruise ships, airplanes, hotels, and conferences. Many of these outbreaks were documented in the earlier period of the pandemic, but outbreaks still occur, even among highly vaccinated populations.

The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and rapidly spread to other countries. On January 30, 2020, WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and on March 11, 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. As of February 25, 2024, globally there have been more than 774,000,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 7,000,000 deaths. These are likely significant underestimates because many cases are undiagnosed or not reported. In the United States, in 2022, COVID-19 was the fourth leading cause of death, following heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injury.

When the novel virus first emerged, none of the population had any specific protective immunity against this pathogen. At least 98% of the US population now has some degree of protective immunity from vaccination, infection, or both (hybrid immunity). Hybrid immunity has been described as providing better protection with longer durability against severe illness compared to immunity from vaccination or infection alone.

SARS-CoV-2 has had ongoing circulation, with waves of increased and decreased incidence, since it emerged. The virus has continued to evolve and has not yet settled into a predictable pattern of circulation. The dramatic shift in the virus from Delta to Omicron in late 2021 resulted in reduced vaccine effectiveness, more immune escape, and the loss of effectiveness of some therapeutics, along with a corresponding surge in infections. Broadly, SARS-CoV-2 causes less severe illness than when it first emerged, due to background immunity of the population and reduced severity of the virus itself. However, it remains a public health threat, particularly to individuals at increased risk of severe illness, and with ongoing circulation, travelers could be exposed whenever they are traveling. SARS-CoV-2 will continue to evolve, and a new variant could emerge that is more infectious or causes more severe illness.

Signs and symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection can include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, nasal congestion or rhinorrhea, vomiting or diarrhea, or skin rashes. Illness can range from asymptomatic to severe, and many symptoms are difficult to distinguish from other infections without diagnostic testing.

Severe disease occurs more often in people who are 50 years and older, with risk increasing substantially at ages >65 years. Risk of severe illness is also increased in people who are immunocompromised (either from an immunocompromising condition or medication) or with certain underlying medical conditions. Risk is greater with increasing number of comorbidities. People who are pregnant are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and of having a preterm birth, stillbirth, or other pregnancy complications if infected with SARS-CoV-2 while pregnant. See a  comprehensive list of risk factors . See Sec. 3, Ch. 1, Immunocompromised Travelers , and Sec. 7, Ch. 1, Pregnant Travelers , for additional information about these populations.

Long COVID and multisystem inflammatory syndrome

Long COVID is broadly defined as signs, symptoms, or conditions that continue or develop after acute COVID-19 infection. Symptoms or conditions can be persistent, stop and then reemerge, or begin after the acute infection resolves, and can last weeks, months, or years. Long COVID, also referred to as post-COVID conditions or post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, can affect different body systems (e.g., neurologic, respiratory, digestive). Common reported symptoms include tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life, symptoms that get worse with physical or mental effort, difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes called “brain fog”), cough, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. Long COVID is more common among women, people with more severe acute COVID-19 illness, and people with underlying health conditions. The best way to protect against Long COVID is to prevent infection and severe acute COVID-19. Vaccination can reduce the risk of Long COVID, while data are mixed on whether antivirals during acute infection may reduce the risk of Long COVID.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) is a rare but serious condition associated with COVID-19 in which different parts of the body become inflamed, typically 2–6 weeks after acute infection. MIS was first recognized and has been more widely reported in children (MIS-C) but has also been reported among adults (MIS-A). Incidence of MIS-C is much lower compared to earlier in the pandemic, but cases do still occur. This overall decline is likely due to multiple factors, including an increase in population immunity from both infection and vaccination, as well as differences in development of MIS-C associated with different SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Viral tests that detect current infection with SARS-CoV-2 are used for COVID-19 diagnosis and include nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) and antigen tests. Tests that detect antibody to SARS-CoV-2 can be used to identify previous infection and might be useful for surveillance purposes but are not typically used for diagnosis except for MIS-C. All tests should be performed as specified by the manufacturer and authorized or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing

NAATs detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA and are highly sensitive and specific, typically performed in a laboratory or clinical setting, with results usually taking 1–3 days. The most common NAAT is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. A positive NAAT provides evidence of current infection. Residual shedding of non-infectious viral RNA can result in a positive test result beyond when an individual is infectious. Most immunocompetent people are not infectious after 8–10 days, but a NAAT can be positive for longer. People with immunocompromising conditions can test positive for longer durations, although this does not necessarily indicate they are infectious.

Antigen Tests

Antigen tests are sometimes called rapid tests or point-of-care tests because they can be used almost anywhere and can yield results in 15–30 minutes. These tests detect the presence of viral proteins (antigens). In general, they are less sensitive than NAATs, particularly among asymptomatic people. A single negative antigen test cannot rule out an infection. FDA recommends repeat testing following a negative antigen test for a total of 2 antigen tests for people with symptoms or 3 antigen tests for people without symptoms, each performed 48 hours apart. A single positive antigen test is typically reliable, especially if the person is symptomatic.

Consider encouraging patients to travel with several antigen tests, particularly if they are at increased risk of severe illness and would be eligible for treatment. Most COVID-19 antigen tests need to be stored between 2°C (36°F) and 30°C (86°F), so will not be appropriate for all travel conditions or locations.

Before travel, encourage patients to have a healthcare contingency plan in place, should they test positive for COVID-19 while abroad (see Travel Insurance, Travel Health Insurance, and Medical Evacuation Insurance chapter). For mild disease, medications that are typically available over the counter can be used to alleviate symptoms. Patients also should rest and stay well-hydrated.

For people at greater risk for progression to severe disease, several antiviral medications ( Table 5-08-1 ) have been approved or authorized for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19. As of March 2024, preferred antiviral medications, in order of preference, are oral nirmatrelvir + ritonavir (Paxlovid) and intravenous remdesivir (Velkury). If neither of these drugs is available or clinically appropriate, molnupiravir (Lagevrio) is the recommended alternative therapy. As of March 2024, no monoclonal antibodies are authorized for use in non-hospitalized patients because they are not effective against circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2. This may change as new monoclonal antibodies are developed, or if variants begin circulating that are susceptible to previous monoclonal antibodies and approval is reinstated. For maximal efficacy, medications should be given as soon as possible after symptom onset. Emergence of future variants might impact treatment options. The National Institutes of Health has developed  COVID-19 treatment guidelines .

Travelers who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19 (e.g., severely immunocompromised persons, frail older adults with serious co-morbid conditions) should be counseled on the importance of ensuring they are up to date on COVID-19 vaccination, reviewing when and where to seek medical care, and considering potential treatment options if symptoms occur during travel. COVID-19 antivirals can be taken safely even with many other medications. Clinicians should  evaluate drug-drug interactions  because some medications may need to be stopped or changed.

Table 5-08-1 COVID-19 treatments

*All should be started as soon as possible, within the timeframe specified.

**Emergency Use Authorization for nirmatrelvir with ritonavir is for ages 12 years and older at increased risk of severe illness, while the full approval is only for adults.

The most important measure for preventing severe illness from COVID-19 is vaccination ( Box 5-02 ). Vaccination also provides some protection from infection, although this protection has been shown to wane, highlighting the importance of staying up to date on vaccine doses. Inhalation of virus particles and deposition of virus on mucous membranes can be prevented by wearing a well-fitting mask or respirator and avoiding crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation. Handwashing can help prevent transmission from contact with contaminated surfaces (fomite transmission). Used in combination, layered interventions (e.g., vaccination, mask wearing, avoiding crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and staying away from people who are sick) are measures that can further reduce risk of transmission.

Box 5-02 COVID-19 international travel preparation, a checklist for travelers

☐ Be up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines

☐ Consider traveling with

• Well-fitting masks or respirators
• Rapid antigen tests (check your specific tests but many have a storage temperature ranges of between 2°C (36°F) and 30°C (86°F)
• Hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol

☐ Have plans ready in case you get sick while abroad (see What to Do When Sick Abroad chapter); this may include identifying a place you can isolate away from travel companions who are not sick and healthcare facilities that can provide treatment and manage severe illness at your destination.

Vaccination

Everyone ≥6 months old in the United States is eligible and recommended to receive a  COVID-19 vaccine . As of March 2024, 3 COVID-19 vaccines are approved for use in the United States: 2 mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) and 1 protein subunit vaccine (Novavax). Interim clinical considerations for the use of COVID-19 vaccines  in the United States provide additional details regarding vaccine schedules, vaccine safety, and vaccination recommendations for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. Vaccine development and recommendations are likely to continue to change, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) website will have the most current recommendations. People who recently had COVID-19 may consider delaying vaccination for 3 months from their onset of infection.

People who test positive for COVID-19 should follow CDC guidance for preventing spread of respiratory viruses when sick  People with a respiratory virus should stay away from others until at least 24 hours after both symptoms are improving overall and they have not had a fever without the use of fever-reducing medication.  For 5 additional days, people should consider added precautions such as hygiene, use of masks, physical distancing, and steps for cleaner air. Travelers should be aware that staying in their room and away from others could be challenging and disrupt travel plans. 

Wearing a well-fitting mask or respirator that completely covers the nose and mouth reduces SARS-CoV-2 transmission. When worn by a person who is infected, masks can serve as source control, reducing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to others. This can be particularly important early in infection if the infected person is not able to isolate. Respiratory protection protects the wearer from inhaling infectious particles; this type of protection typically comes from respirators (e.g., N95 or KN95 respirators). NIOSH-approved respirators (including N95s) offer the highest level of protection. Masks made from layered finely woven products afford some protection, with the least amount of protection being offered by loosely woven cloth products. See more details about  types of masks and respirators . Using masks can be particularly helpful in crowded indoor settings and during travel . 

CDC website: COVID-19

Bibliography

Ahmad, F. B., Cisewski, J. A., Xu, J., & Anderson, R. N. (2023). Provisional Mortality Data - United States, 2022.  MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report ,  72 (18), 488–492. https://www.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7218a3

Bobrovitz, N., Ware, H., Ma, X., Li, Z., Hosseini, R., Cao, C., et al. (2023). Protective effectiveness of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and hybrid immunity against the omicron variant and severe disease: a systematic review and meta-regression.  The Lancet. Infectious diseases ,  23 (5), 556–567. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00801-5

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID Data Tracker . Cdc.gov. https://www.covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#mis-national-surveillance

Jones, J. M., Manrique, I. M., Stone, M. S., Grebe, E., Saa, P., Germanio, C. D., Spencer, B. R., Notari, E., Bravo, M., Lanteri, M. C., Green, V., Briggs-Hagen, M., Coughlin, M. M., Stramer, S. L., Opsomer, J., & Busch, M. P. (2023). Estimates of SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence and Incidence of Primary SARS-CoV-2 Infections Among Blood Donors, by COVID-19 Vaccination Status - United States, April 2021-September 2022.  MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report ,  72 (22), 601–605. https://www.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7222a3

US Food and Drug Administration. At-Home COVID-19 Antigen Tests-Take Steps to Reduce Your Risk of False Negative Results: FDA Safety Communication . Fda.gov. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/home-covid-19-antigen-tests-take-steps-reduce-your-risk-false-negative-results-fda-safety

Watanabe, A., Iwagami, M., Yasuhara, J., Takagi, H., & Kuno, T. (2023). Protective effect of COVID-19 vaccination against long COVID syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.  Vaccine ,  41 (11), 1783–1790. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.02.008

World Health Organization. Updated working definitions and primary actions for SARS-CoV-2 variants . Who.int. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/updated-working-definitions-and-primary-actions-for--sars-cov-2-variants

World Health Organization. WHO COVID-19 dashboard . Who.int. https://www.covid19.who.int/

Xie, Y., Choi, T., & Al-Aly, Z. (2023). Association of Treatment With Nirmatrelvir and the Risk of Post-COVID-19 Condition.  JAMA internal medicine ,  183 (6), 554–564. https://www.doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.0743

File Formats Help:

• Adobe PDF file
• Microsoft PowerPoint file
• Microsoft Word file
• Microsoft Excel file
• Audio/Video file
• Apple Quicktime file
• RealPlayer file
• Zip Archive file

Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
• Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
• You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
• CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.

Update April 12, 2024

Information for u.s. citizens in the middle east.

• Travel Advisories |
• Contact Us |
• MyTravelGov |

Find U.S. Embassies & Consulates

Travel.state.gov, congressional liaison, special issuance agency, u.s. passports, international travel, intercountry adoption, international parental child abduction, records and authentications, popular links, travel advisories, mytravelgov, stay connected, legal resources, legal information, info for u.s. law enforcement, replace or certify documents.

Travel.State.Gov Newsroom

U.S. Passports News

International Travel News

U.S. Visas News

Intercountry Adoption News and Notices

Share this page:

Update on Change to U.S. Travel Policy Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination for nonimmigrant travel

Worldwide Visa Operations: Update

Employment-Based Fourth Preference (EB-4) Announcement

Suspension of Visa Services in Sudan

Diversity Visa 2024 Update

Nonimmigrant Visa Fee Increases to Take Effect June 17, 2023

India EB-3 Retrogression

Expiration of Covid-Era Visa Application Fee Receipts

Digital Visa Authorization (DVA) Proof of Concept

Final Rule Governing Public Charge Grounds of Visa Ineligibility

Visa Waiver Travel for Israeli Citizens

Important Update on Waivers of the Interview Requirement for Certain Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants

Department of State to Process Domestic Visa Renewals in Limited Pilot Program

Visa Information for Nationals of Haiti

Department of State/AILA Liaison Committee Meeting March 20, 2024

The Administration will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for international air travelers at the end of the day on May 11, the same day that the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. This means starting May 12, noncitizen nonimmigrant air passengers will no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight to the United States. CDC’s Amended Order Implementing Presidential Proclamation on Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic will no longer be in effect when the Presidential Proclamation Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic is revoked .

Please see: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/01/the-biden-administration-will-end-covid-19-vaccination-requirements-for-federal-employees-contractors-international-travelers-head-start-educators-and-cms-certified-facilities/

External Link

You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State.

Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message.

You are about to visit:

• Skip to main content
• Skip to "About this site"

Language selection

Search travel.gc.ca.

Help us to improve our website. Take our survey !

COVID-19: Travel, testing and borders

Return or travel to canada.

For all travellers entering Canada by air, land or marine mode:

• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is not required
• Pre-board testing is not required
• COVID-19 pre-entry and arrival tests are not required
• Quarantine after you enter Canada is not required
• to save time at the border, you can use Advance Declaration in ArriveCAN to submit your customs and immigration declaration before flying into Canada
• Pre-boarding tests for cruise passengers are not required
• As always, travel documents are required
• Health checks to board planes and trains are not required
• It's strongly recommended that you wear a well-constructed and well-fitted mask or respirator while you travel

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 , you shouldn't travel to Canada.

If you feel sick or experience any symptoms of COVID-19 during your travel to Canada or upon arrival, you should:

• inform the flight attendant, cruise staff or a border services officer upon arrival. You may be referred to a Quarantine Officer for a health assessment and further direction.
• avoid taking public transportation
• check provincial or territorial requirements for what you need to do if you’re symptomatic or have tested positive for COVID-19

Travelling in and out of Canada

• International travel advice and advisories
• COVID-19 and international travel
• Proof of vaccination
• Find out if you need a visa

Wearing masks on planes and trains in Canada is not required.

• It's still strongly recommended that you wear a high quality and well-fitted mask or respirator while you travel

Situation in Canada

• COVID-19 guidance, vaccines, limiting the spread
• Summary data about travellers, testing and compliance

The Government of Canada will continue to monitor the situation. See the COVID-19 border measures backgrounder .

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Takeaways from AP report on how the search for the coronavirus origins turned toxic

FILE - A policeman moves journalists back from a farewell event held for the last group of medical workers who came from outside Wuhan to help the city during the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on April 15, 2020. The hunt for COVID-19 origins has gone dark in China. An AP investigation drawing on thousands of pages of undisclosed emails and documents and dozens of interviews found feuding officials and fear of blame ended meaningful Chinese and international efforts to trace the virus almost as soon as they began, despite years of public statements to the contrary. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

FILE - A volunteer looks out near a Chinese national flag during a farewell ceremony for the last group of medical workers who came from outside Wuhan to help the city during the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on April 15, 2020. The hunt for COVID-19 origins has gone dark in China. An AP investigation drawing on thousands of pages of undisclosed emails and documents and dozens of interviews found feuding officials and fear of blame ended meaningful Chinese and international efforts to trace the virus almost as soon as they began, despite years of public statements to the contrary. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

FILE - Marion Koopmans, right, and Peter Ben Embarek, center, of the World Health Organization team say farewell to their Chinese counterpart Liang Wannian, left, after a WHO-China Joint Study Press Conference at the end of the WHO mission in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 9, 2021. The hunt for COVID-19 origins has gone dark in China. An AP investigation drawing on thousands of pages of undisclosed emails and documents and dozens of interviews found feuding officials and fear of blame ended meaningful Chinese and international efforts to trace the virus almost as soon as they began, despite years of public statements to the contrary. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

• Copy Link copied

BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government froze meaningful efforts to trace the origins of the coronavirus pandemic , despite publicly declaring it supported an open scientific inquiry, an Associated Press investigation has found.

The AP drew on thousands of pages of undisclosed emails and documents, leaked recordings, and dozens of interviews that showed the freeze began far earlier than previously known — in the first weeks of the outbreak — and involved political and scientific infighting in China as much as international finger-pointing.

Crucial initial efforts were hindered by bureaucrats in Wuhan trying to avoid blame who misled the central government; the central government, which silenced Chinese scientists and subjected visiting U.N. officials to stage-managed tours; and the World Health Organization itself, which may have compromised early opportunities to gather critical information, according to internal materials obtained by AP.

SECRECY FROM THE START

Secrecy clouds the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Even the date when Chinese authorities first started searching for the virus’ origins is unclear. The first publicly known search for the coronavirus took place on Dec. 31, 2019, when Chinese Center for Disease Control scientists visited the Wuhan market where many early COVID-19 cases surfaced.

But WHO officials heard of an earlier inspection of the market on Dec. 25, 2019, according to a recording of a confidential WHO meeting provided to the AP. In the recording, WHO’s top virus expert, Peter Ben Embarek, told colleagues that Chinese officials that day were “looking at what was on sale in the market, whether all the vendors have licenses (and) if there was any illegal (wildlife) trade.”

Ben Embarek said the probe was “not routine” and WHO would “try to figure out what happened.” Such a probe has never been publicly mentioned by Chinese authorities or WHO.

WHO said in an email that it was “not aware” of any investigation on Dec. 25, 2019. Other experts said any visit to the market that day would be significant, especially if animal samples were taken because they could be critical evidence of how COVID-19 jumped to humans.

PUNISHING SCIENTISTS

Zhang Yongzhen was the first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus. One day after he wrote a memo urging health authorities to act quickly, China’s top health official ordered his lab closed.

“They used their official power against me and our colleagues,” Zhang wrote in an email provided to AP by Edward Holmes, an Australian virologist.

Among Chinese doctors and scientists, the sense grew that Beijing was hunting for a scapegoat. The government opened investigations into top health officials, according to two former and current China CDC staff and three others familiar with the matter. China CDC staff were encouraged to report colleagues who mishandled the outbreak to the Communist Party’s disciplinary bodies, according to two of the people.

As criticism of China grew, the Chinese government deflected blame. Instead of firing health officials, they declared their virus response a success and closed investigations into the officials with few job losses.

“There were no real reforms, because doing reforms means admitting fault,” said a public health expert in contact with top Chinese health officials who asked that he not be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

POLITICIANS TOOK CONTROL

Early on, Chinese scientists were silenced and politicians took control.

As WHO negotiated with China for a mission to investigate COVID-19 in early 2020, it was China’s Foreign Ministry, not scientists, that decided the terms. China refused a visa for WHO’s Ben Embarek, then the agency’s top animal virus expert. The itinerary dropped nearly all the items linked to an origins search, according to draft agendas obtained by AP.

Taking charge of the WHO visit was Liang Wannian, an epidemiologist close to top Chinese officials who was widely seen as pushing the party line, not science-backed policies , according to nine people familiar with the situation who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. Liang also ordered the Wuhan market disinfected before samples could be collected and promoted an implausible theory that COVID-19 originated from frozen food imported into China.

On a train ride with Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior adviser to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Liang lobbied the U.N. agency to praise China’s response in its public report. The new section was so flattering that colleagues emailed Aylward to suggest he “dial it back a bit.”

TOXIC ATMOSPHERE

By the time WHO led another visit to Wuhan in January 2021, the origins hunt had become highly politicized. Liang, the Chinese official in charge of two earlier WHO visits, organized market workers to tell WHO experts no live wildlife was sold and cut recent photos of wildlife at the market from the report.

The WHO team concluded a lab leak was “extremely unlikely.” Months later, WHO chief Tedros said it was “premature” to dismiss the lab leak theory and pressed China to be more transparent, infuriating Chinese officials

China told WHO any future missions to find the origins of COVID-19 should be elsewhere, according to a letter obtained by AP. Since then, global cooperation has ground to a halt.

Chinese scientists are still under heavy pressure, according to 10 researchers, medical experts and health officials. Researchers who published papers on the coronavirus ran into trouble with Chinese authorities. Others were barred from travel abroad for conferences and WHO meetings.

The head of the China CDC Institute of Viral Disease was forced to retire over the release of sensitive market data, according to a former China CDC official who declined to be named, fearing repercussions.

“It has to do with the origins, so they’re still worried,” the official said. “If you try and get to the bottom of it, what if it turns out to be from China?”

Cheng reported from Geneva.

Q&A on Reducing COVID-19 Risk for Elderly, Immunocompromised

By Kate Yandell

Posted on April 23, 2024

While the risks associated with COVID-19 generally have decreased over time due to prior exposure to the vaccines and the virus, some people remain at  elevated  risk, such as the elderly and immunocompromised. The updated COVID-19 vaccines and, in some cases, a new monoclonal antibody can provide increased protection for this group.

“At this point, many people have had multiple vaccines and we are seeing a lot less severe and life-threatening illness, especially in people who have had recent vaccination,”   Dr. Camille Kotton , clinical director of Transplant and Immunocompromised Host Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, told us.   “Nonetheless, we are still seeing significant severe disease, hospitalization, even life-threatening disease, especially in people over the age of 65 or who are immunocompromised.”

We spoke with Kotton, who is also a  member  of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, about the current state of affairs for people at elevated risk of severe disease from COVID-19 and the tools they can use to protect themselves.

For some people who are immunocompromised, a newly  authorized  monoclonal antibody, Pemgarda, or pemivibart, may provide an additional layer of protection, Kotton said. These antibodies may  substitute  for a person’s own antibodies and help block the coronavirus from entering a person’s cells. 

Even so, Kotton emphasized the importance of getting this year’s  updated COVID-19 vaccines . “The majority of immunocompromised patients have not had a first dose of the 2023/2024 vaccine,” she said. They, along with people age 65 and up, are  eligible  for multiple doses of the updated vaccines this year.

Who Remains at Increased Risk from COVID-19?

Last month, the CDC updated guidelines for people with COVID-19, removing the previous standard five days of isolation and replacing it with symptoms-based guidance. The move was part of a transition away from the emergency response phase of the pandemic to recovery and maintenance phases, the agency explained .

Rates of COVID-19-associated hospitalization have  declined  across adult age groups since early pandemic waves. There is also  evidence  that outcomes have improved for those who are immunocompromised. However, these groups remain at elevated risk from COVID-19, Kotton said.

As of the latest census, just  around  17% of the U.S. population was age 65 or over. But between October 2023 and January 2024, around two-thirds of COVID-19 hospitalizations were among those 65 and older, according to data from the  CDC . Older Americans make up an increasing proportion of those hospitalized for COVID-19, as outcomes have improved more markedly for younger people.

People who are immunocompromised also are hospitalized for COVID-19 and  die from the disease  at a relatively high rate. Between  October 2022 and November 2023 , 16% of all adult COVID-19 hospitalizations were among people with immunocompromising conditions, and 28% of in-hospital deaths occurred in this group. 

People can be  immunocompromised  for a variety of  reasons , and to varying degrees. Sometimes, a health condition itself alters a person’s immune system’s ability to respond to infection. These conditions can include certain blood cancers, advanced or untreated HIV, or  primary immunodeficiency , a group of rare genetic diseases in which some portion of a person’s immune system is altered and doesn’t work properly.

At other times, the treatment for a disease weakens someone’s immune system. For instance, people are considered immunocompromised if they are receiving immunosuppressive treatments associated with transplant or various treatments for conditions such as autoimmune disease or cancer.

Recent  estimates  indicate around 7% of U.S. adults report having immunosuppression, up from around 3% in 2013.

The growing availability of advanced therapies for various diseases has likely contributed to the increasing percentage of immunocompromised Americans, Kotton said. Previously, for “many of those people, we did not have such successful treatments,” she said. “Unfortunately, now one of the side effects of all of those treatments can be a higher risk of infection.”

How Can People Protect Themselves from COVID-19?

The Food and Drug Administration approved, and the CDC recommended, updated COVID-19 vaccines in September. (For more information, see “ Q&A on the Updated COVID-19 Vaccines .”) Since then, the updated vaccines have been shown in multiple studies to reduce the risks of hospitalization and other negative outcomes — including among the elderly and immunocompromised .

As is recommended for everyone 6 months and up, people who are elderly or immunocompromised should get an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine if they haven’t yet, Kotton said. People who are immunocompromised or elderly are also eligible for additional vaccine doses. Protection from the vaccines wanes as time passes, particularly among these groups, she said. 

People age 65 and up should get a second dose of the updated vaccines at least four months after their previous dose,  according  to the CDC. People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised “may get additional updated COVID-19 vaccine doses” if it has been at least two months since their last COVID-19 vaccine, the agency  says .

Despite these recommendations, just over 20% of American adults had gotten the updated vaccines as of February. Uptake was a bit better among adults 65 and older, with more than 40% having gotten the shots.

In a recent  study  of electronic health records through February, just 18% of immunocompromised people had gotten an updated shot. The same study showed that the vaccines reduced the risk of hospitalization in this group by 38% between seven and 59 days after getting the shot and 34% in the 60 days following that, compared with immunocompromised people who hadn’t received an updated vaccine.

“I actually believe that we should focus many of our efforts on really encouraging uptake of the 2023/2024 COVID-19 vaccine, and that everybody has a first dose and at least two or more months later get a second dose so that they remain well vaccinated,” Kotton said, referring to the population of people who are immunocompromised.

What Is Pemgarda and Who Might Benefit?

On March 22, a new potential tool for mitigating COVID-19 risk was  authorized  by the FDA. Pemgarda, the monoclonal antibody, received an emergency use authorization for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and who are unlikely to have a sufficient immune response to COVID-19 vaccination. It became available for purchase by wholesalers on April 4.

It is the first preventive antibody treatment to be authorized since a prior monoclonal antibody combination, called Evusheld, was  taken off the market  in January 2023, based on data indicating that it was unlikely to help protect against the latest viral variants that were circulating.

Pemgarda is  given  to people who do not have COVID-19 or a known exposure. It consists of an antibody shown to recognize a section of the spike protein, which is part of the virus that causes COVID-19. The product was  authorized  based on calculations indicating that receiving it should lead to sufficient antibodies in a person’s blood to protect against JN.1, the current  dominant  variant in the U.S.

Pemgarda may benefit a subset of immunocompromised people, Kotton said, but it is not a substitute for vaccination. People who are vaccinated “tend to develop multiple forms of immunity that seem more protective than just administration of a monoclonal antibody alone,” she said.

Vaccination should lead to both the production of antibodies and a cellular immune response, she explained. A drug like Pemgarda may help people who are not producing sufficient antibodies on their own in response to vaccination.

It is not cut and dried how well someone who is immunocompromised will respond to vaccination, however. “When we give immunocompromised people vaccines, some respond by developing an antibody, others develop a cellular immune response, and it’s not always predictable that if they develop one that they will develop the other,” Kotton said. “And so it’s been challenging to know who is actually well protected.”

It is clear that the people who are at risk of severe COVID-19 include those with recent bone marrow transplant, people with certain cancers such as multiple myeloma, or those taking certain drugs given for various cancers and autoimmune diseases. “We do think that those populations could potentially benefit” from Pemgarda, Kotton said.

These patients are not only at risk of severe disease, Kotton said, but of chronic infections. Distinct from long COVID, these long-term infections occur when a person is unable to clear an active infection.

“Otherwise, it seems that it’s not clear that there will be widespread benefit to all immunocompromised populations, in the era of widespread, numerous vaccination doses,” Kotton said.

What Are the Obstacles to Getting Pemgarda?

Kotton emphasized the importance of practical considerations, such as cost and logistics, when considering COVID-19 prevention measures. 

Evusheld, the previously available preventive treatment, was provided for free by the U.S. government, she said. The same is not true for Pemgarda. Its maker, Invivyd, announced a wholesale acquisition cost of nearly $6,000 per dose. This is the list price a manufacturer charges wholesalers, although it may not represent the price they actually pay after discounts. Costs to patients will vary depending on insurance coverage.

Preventive monoclonal antibodies are  available  without cost-sharing for people covered by Medicare, who make up a portion of those eligible for Pemgarda, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. However, the amount individuals with private insurance pay will depend on their insurance plans and whether the monoclonal antibody is covered.

While Evusheld was  given  as two injections,  Pemgarda  is an infused drug, Kotton added, increasing the logistical challenges for both patients and health care providers. Patients must sit for an hour-long infusion, followed by a two-hour  observation period , for a drug that may be given every three months. “Already Evusheld was a very challenging rollout,” Kotton said. “We did not have staff or capacity.” 

In contrast, the private sector  cost  of the COVID-19 vaccines for those 12 and older is between $115 and $130 per dose. And people in the U.S., including those without insurance, should be able to get COVID-19 vaccines for free.

As Pemgarda is rolled out, Kotton said, it will be important to push for equity in who receives it. “I think it’s important to think hard about how we would make the monoclonal antibody available to all severely immunocompromised people who would really benefit and not just people that might be able to pay for it,” she said.

Editor’s note: SciCheck’s articles providing accurate health information and correcting health misinformation are made possible by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The foundation has no control over FactCheck.org’s editorial decisions, and the views expressed in our articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the foundation.

Man dies after record 613-day infection with COVID-19, researchers say

AMSTERDAM (Gray News) – A man in Amsterdam died after a record 613-day infection with COVID-19, researchers said.

The case was highlighted in a news release from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) on Thursday.

According to the news release, the 72-year-old man was immunocompromised and had received multiple COVID-19 vaccinations before he caught the virus.

The man was considered immunocompromised because he had a history of blood disorders and had previously received stem cell transplants.

He was admitted to Amsterdam University Medical Center in February 2022 with COVID-19.

The 72-year-old’s immune system was “not capable of clearing the virus,” researchers said, and the virus became a “highly mutated” variant within his body.

Ultimately, the virus caused a multitude of problems for the patient. He died from a relapse of his blood disorder after remaining positive for COVID-19 with “high viral loads” for a total of 613 days – totaling more than 1 year and 8 months.

This is believed to be the longest COVID-19 infection to date, although several cases of hundreds of days have been previously documented.

Researchers said this case highlights the risk that COVID-19 poses to immunocompromised people, saying that long term infections could lead to an increased number of mutations of the virus.

It is believed that the initial emergence of the Omicron variant originated in an immunocompromised person.

Healthy people can clear the virus within days to weeks without persistent infection or viral evolution. For the general public, long term infections remain rare.

Researchers will present their findings about this case at the ESCMID Global Congress in Barcelona, Spain starting this weekend.

Copyright 2024 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

U.S. Customs intercepts stolen cars from leaving Charleston, Savannah Seaports

Man found guilty of murdering Mount Pleasant woman in 2019

Truck driver in critical condition after high speed crash on I-95

Mother says students saved her son’s life after man allegedly tried to grab him during recess

N. Charleston babysitter charged after child severely burned

Latest news.

Median causing controversy in Summerville area sparking multiple concerns

Dozens detained in chaotic Pro-Palestinian protest at Texas university

Stowaway cat shipped 650 miles from home in Amazon box

Missing cat found after she was accidentally shipped out with Amazon return

Biden signs bill that could lead to nationwide TikTok ban

Time running out for Rockford-area restaurants to apply for COVID-related grant funds

W ith the deadline for Winnebago County restaurants to apply for COVID-related grant funds fast approaching, there is a strong interest in the program. 

The application portal for restaurants to receive a share of a $1.5 million grant, aimed at helping them recover losses caused by higher unemployment insurance rates during the pandemic, opened Feb. 26. It closes at 5 p.m., March 28.

“This was a countywide issue for the entire industry,” said John Groh, CEO of the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We have applications from not just Rockford, but throughout Winnebago County.”

To qualify for a share of the state grant, restaurants must certify that they complied with indoor dining closure mandates during the first quarter of 2021 that were set forth by five executive orders issued by Gov. JB Pritzker.

Restaurants must also show that they've incurred or will incur a higher unemployment rate in 2022, 2023 and 2024 because of rate increases in Q1 2021.

“We had like a 900% rate increase,” said Michelle LaMay, general manager at Franchesco’s Ristorante in Rockford. “We were at .625%, which is about as low as you can go. We are at 7.8% now, which is costing us about $80,000 a year.”

Franchesco’s has 125 employees and a $2 million payroll. 

“Before the pandemic, we never really saw unemployment, so this was enormous,” LaMay said. 

Groh said he expected a large amount of interest in the program. 

“We have small, mom and pop places to larger, very well-known locally owned places,” Groh said.

While they are eligible, Groh said he has not seen an onslaught of applications from chain restaurants.

The grant came after state Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, unsuccessfully filed a bill in the House, hoping to pass legislation to help local restaurant owners offset state unemployment insurance increases associated with COVID shutdowns, most notably the first quarter of 2021.

“Indoor dining was one of the last things to roll back after reopening,” Groh said.

When the state finally greenlighted indoor dining in 2021, things didn’t return to normal until well into the next year, leaving restaurants with little revenue to pay rate hikes associated with massive layoffs.

Restaurants currently do not know how much of the grant they’ll receive. Qualified recipients are expected to receive funds in June.

“Every little bit helps,” LaMay said. “Because it’s not just the unemployment rates that have affected us. Our minimum wage went up. We’ve had to take every employee up to numbers that we never even imagined just to keep them. So, we’ve taken a hard hit just in payroll in general.”

Winnebago County restaurants can apply for grant funds at  gorockford.com . Each application will be reviewed by the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and a review panel of Rockford-area finance professionals.

Jim Hagerty writes news stories for the Rockford Register Star. Email him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Time running out for Rockford-area restaurants to apply for COVID-related grant funds

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

• Travel Insurance

The journalists on the editorial team at Forbes Advisor Australia base their research and opinions on objective, independent information-gathering.

When covering investment and personal finance stories, we aim to inform our readers rather than recommend specific financial product or asset classes. While we may highlight certain positives of a financial product or asset class, there is no guarantee that readers will benefit from the product or investment approach and may, in fact, make a loss if they acquire the product or adopt the approach.

To the extent any recommendations or statements of opinion or fact made in a story may constitute financial advice, they constitute general information and not personal financial advice in any form. As such, any recommendations or statements do not take into account the financial circumstances, investment objectives, tax implications, or any specific requirements of readers.

Readers of our stories should not act on any recommendation without first taking appropriate steps to verify the information in the stories consulting their independent financial adviser in order to ascertain whether the recommendation (if any) is appropriate, having regard to their investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs. Providing access to our stories should not be construed as investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any security or product, or to engage in or refrain from engaging in any transaction by Forbes Advisor Australia. In comparing various financial products and services, we are unable to compare every provider in the market so our rankings do not constitute a comprehensive review of a particular sector. While we do go to great lengths to ensure our ranking criteria matches the concerns of consumers, we cannot guarantee that every relevant feature of a financial product will be reviewed. We make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information. However, Forbes Advisor Australia cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of this website. Forbes Advisor Australia accepts no responsibility to update any person regarding any inaccuracy, omission or change in information in our stories or any other information made available to a person, nor any obligation to furnish the person with any further information.

Travel Insurance For Vietnam: Everything You Need To Know

Published: Apr 25, 2024, 12:17am

Table of Contents

Do australians need travel insurance for vietnam, what does travel insurance for vietnam cover, frequently asked questions (faqs).

Vietnam is an increasingly popular travel destination for Australians, with the country even hoping to encourage more Aussies to visit by potentially waiving visa requirements in due time.

The Southeast Asian country is set to be high on the list for Aussies going overseas in 2024. The number of Australian tourists in Vietnam now exceeds pre-pandemic levels: more than 317,000 Australians visited Vietnam in 2019 , while there were 390,000 Aussie visitors in 2023.

Plus, as more and more flights become available, such as low-cost carrier Vietjet Air launching a direct service between Hanoi and Melbourne earlier this year, getting to Vietnam is becoming easier for Australians.

If the direct flights, fascinating history, vast scenery and delicious food aren’t enough to convince Australian travellers, the cost may be. Vietnam is considered one of the cheapest travel destinations in the world for Australian tourists due to our strong conversion rate against the Vietnamese Dong and the nation’s low cost of living in comparison to our own.

And while cheap thrills may be what you’re after on your vacation, it’s important not to skimp on the necessities that may cost that little bit extra—such as travel insurance. This guide outlines what you need to know regarding travel insurance in Vietnam.

Featured Partners

Fast Cover Travel Insurance

On Fast Cover’s Secure Website

Medical cover

Unlimited, 24/7 Emergency Assistance

Cancellations

Unlimited, (Trip Disruption $50,000)

Key Features

25-Day Cooling Off Period, Australian Based Call Centre, 4.6 Star Product Review Rating

Cover-More Travel Insurance

On Cover-more’s secure website

Unlimited, with a $2000 limit to dental

Yes, amount chosen by customer

Southern Cross Travel Insurance

Medical Cover

Including medical treatment, doctors’ visits, prescribed medication, specialist treatment & medical transport costs

$2,500 with option to increase to unlimited

Investing in travel insurance is a good idea for any overseas trip. Travel insurance policies can help protect you from having to dive deep into your pockets, with many offering unlimited medical treatment while abroad and cancellation cover for your trip should the unexpected occur.

Travel insurance is not just handy for medical purposes or travel changes, either. Your personal items can be covered, should any baggage go missing or an important item be stolen—which, unfortunately, often occurs in Vietnam.

Smarttraveller warns Australians to be alert at all times in Vietnam, considering petty theft–including bag slashing–is common in tourist areas and crowded places, especially during holiday times. Snatch-and-grab theft by thieves on motorcycles is also common, the website states.

Like most international travel insurance policies, you will be able to find basic coverage for your trip to Vietnam, or choose to opt for a more comprehensive, albeit more expensive, policy.

While a basic policy will often cover medical expenses and lost luggage,a comprehensive policy includes a lot more. Most basic policies also likely won’t offer compensation for travel delays, stolen cash, accidental death and more.

Additionally, if you are going on a trip to multiple countries within the year, it may be worth opting for an ‘annual multi trip’ insurance instead—making sure that there are no exclusions to the regions you are wishing to visit.

Visa Requirements For Australians Travelling to Vietnam

You’ll still be allowed to travel to Vietnam if you don’t invest in travel insurance, but you do so at your own risk—and, as stated, it is highly advised to have a travel insurance policy for any overseas trip.

However, what you cannot do is enter Vietnam as an Australian tourist without a tourist visa. While Vietnam will grant Australian citizens visas on arrival, applying for one online is much easier.

A tourist visa costs under $100 AUD; however the exact price depends on your length of stay.

The Vietnamese government may consider waiving visas for Australian citizens, especially since many other SEA countries have done so such as Indonesia and Thailand .

However, at the time of writing, Forbes Advisor Australia has confirmed that Australian citizens must still obtain a visa to visit Vietnam for tourism purposes.

The exact inclusions of your travel insurance will be dependent on your personal policy and the provider.

However, generally speaking, you can expect a travel insurance policy for Vietnam to offer some level of cover for:

• Medical expenses;
• Lost, damaged or stolen luggage;
• Travel cancellations or delays ;
• Personal liability;
• Credit card fraud;
• Covid-19 expenses;

If you are partaking in certain sports and activities, you will need to make sure that you choose a policy that covers them. You’ll also need to make sure that your policy covers any pre-existing medical conditions as well.

Plus, if you are travelling with valuables, you may wish to opt for a policy that lets you increase the protection cover on your items.

Ultimately, you need to consider what your trip consists of, what you will be taking with you, and your physical health to establish what policies would be appropriate for you.

From there, you can compare quotes of different policies and providers to ensure you have the optimal—yet affordable—cover for your trip to Vietnam.

Does Travel Insurance Cover The Ha-Giang Loop?

Considered one of the most scenic motorcycle routes in the world, the Ha-Giang Loop is a popular tourist activity in Vietnam for adventurous travellers. If the Ha-Giang Loop is one of your goals, you’ll need to make sure you have travel insurance that covers motorcycling.

Occasionally a policy may include this as one of their included ‘sports and activities’, but it is more often the case that you will need to purchase an additional ‘adventure pack’ that is either specific to, or includes, motorsports.

Even so, when purchasing an additional pack to cover motorbikes, you need to be cautious of the conditions. For example, some policies will only cover motorcycle riding if the bike you are riding has an engine under a certain size.

Often, coverage will cease and claims won’t be accepted if you haven’t been wearing the correct safety equipment such as boots and a helmet, or have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

What Does Travel Insurance Exclude?

Your travel insurance policy may exclude some activities that you wish to partake in, unless you can opt-in to purchase an additional adventure pack as explained above in regards to motorbike riding.

Just like with the inclusions of a policy, the exclusions depend on what type of policy you choose, and what provider you go with.

Commonly, however, you won’t be covered for instances where you:

• Break the law;
• Are under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
• Partake in an excluded activity;
• Receive medical treatment for a pre-existing condition that was not disclosed;
• Travel to a ‘Do Not Travel’ destination as outlined by Smarttraveller.

As always, it is essential to read the product disclosure statement (PDS) of your travel insurance policy carefully to understand what you will and won’t be covered for while overseas.

Do I need a visa to travel to Vietnam?

Yes, as of April 2024, Australian tourists still need a visa to travel to Vietnam. This visa can be obtained on arrival, or purchased online prior to travel. The visa takes approximately three days to process online, and the cost depends on how long you intend to stay in the country.

Does international travel insurance cover Covid-19?

Many comprehensive travel insurance policies now cover Covid-19, including medical conditions related to Covid-19 or trip cancellations due to a Covid-19 diagnosis. However, it is not guaranteed that all policies will. It’s important to check your policy’s PDS carefully to understand what it will and will not cover in regards to Covid-19 for both you and your travelling companions.

Related: Travel Insurance And Covid: Are You Covered?

How much does travel insurance cost for Vietnam?

The cost of your travel insurance for a trip to Vietnam will depend on your age, your health, the activities you wish to partake in, and the length of your stay.

For example, for a 34 year old with no pre-existing medical conditions travelling to Vietnam for two weeks, a policy from some of our top choices for comprehensive travel insurance would cost around $130 (based on quotes from Cover-More , 1Cover , and Fast Cover ).

The prices of these quotes would change depending on a chosen excess, cancellation cover, and any additional coverage options you may choose to purchase such as adventure packs or cruise cover.

Related: How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost?

• Best Comprehensive Travel Insurance
• Best Seniors Travel Insurance
• Best Domestic Travel Insurance
• Best Cruise Travel Insurance
• Best Family Travel Insurance
• Travel Insurance Cost
• Pregnancy Travel Insurance Guide
• Travel Insurance Cancellation Cover
• Travel Insurance For Bali
• Travel Insurance For Fiji
• Travel Insurance For The USA
• Travel Insurance For Thailand
• Travel Insurance For New Zealand
• Travel Insurance For Japan
• Travel Insurance For Europe
• Travel Insurance For Singapore
• Travel Insurance For Indonesia
• Cover-More Travel Insurance Review
• Fast Cover Travel Insurance Review
• Travel Insurance Saver Review
• Allianz Comprehensive Travel Insurance Review
• 1Cover Comprehensive Travel Insurance Review
• Australia Post Comprehensive Travel Insurance Review

More from  

Tick travel insurance top cover review: pros and cons, was discovery travel insurance review: features, pros and cons, fast cover comprehensive travel insurance review: pros and cons, our pick of the best domestic travel insurance for australians, travel insurance for indonesia: everything you need to know, travel insurance for singapore: the complete guide.

Sophie Venz is an experienced editor and features reporter, and has previously worked in the small business and start-up reporting space. Previously the Associate Editor of SmartCompany, Sophie has worked closely with finance experts and columnists around Australia and internationally.

For Donald Trump, COVID has become a four-letter word

SCHNECKSVILLE, Pa. — When it comes to Donald Trump fandom, it’s hard to top 64-year-old Edward X. Young.

It’s hard to miss him, too, at one of the 74 Trump rallies he proudly boasts he’s attended. Awaiting the start of his latest one here on April 13, Young wore a bright green Make America Great Again hat, a Trump T-shirt, a denim jacket festooned with more than a dozen Trump buttons, and a grin framed by his gray mustache and beard.

In Young’s view, the former president can do no wrong. Except when it comes to COVID.

“I think Trump’s biggest mistake — I hate to have him know that I say he made a mistake — was trusting [Dr. Anthony] Fauci,” Young said of the former federal infectious disease expert who’s been vilified by conservatives for promoting COVID shutdowns and vaccines.

Advertisement

But Young said Trump isn’t compounding that mistake by making another one — talking about COVID.

“I don’t think he wants to talk about it,” Young said. “It’s just too controversial.”

The deadly pandemic encompassed a little more than a fifth of Trump’s presidency, but you’d never know it from listening to him on the 2024 campaign trail. He rarely mentions COVID. When he does, it’s usually a brief comment that the pandemic derailed some of his presidential plans like an untimely speed bump. Then he’ll complain he doesn’t get enough credit for doing a great job on COVID — an assessment that most public health experts strongly dispute.

Trump publicly downplayed the threat from the virus in early 2020, a move he told author Bob Woodward was intentional to avoid creating a panic . As the pandemic took hold, Trump declared a national emergency and called for a voluntary national shutdown but soon was pushing for America to return to normal as the death toll continued to skyrocket .

He offered bizarre and dangerous ideas for avoiding the virus, including suggesting people inject bleach into their lungs. He shunned mask-wearing and social distancing, then survived arguably the world’s most high-profile case of COVID, before losing the 2020 election as public opinion polls showed voters trusted Joe Biden much more to handle the pandemic .

The one aspect of his pandemic response that Trump legitimately could trumpet — and gets bipartisan credit for — was Operation Warp Speed, the government program that accelerated development of COVID vaccines. But Trump has largely refrained from touting the vaccines since 2021, when he was booed at an Alabama rally and an appearance in Dallas after saying he had received a COVID jab.

“I really don’t want to talk about it because, as a Republican, it’s not a great thing to talk about, because for some reason it’s just not,” Trump told Fox News in June 2023 . In recent months, Trump has frequently vowed at his rallies that he would deny federal funds to “any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate” — a line that draws big cheers.

“His problem is he is personally proud of the development of the vaccines, but his core audience not only has moved on but is very negative about the experience,” said Robert J. Blendon, an emeritus professor of health policy and political analysis at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who has studied the public response to the pandemic.

Polls show Republicans trust the vaccine much less than Democrats and were more strongly opposed to the shutdowns and mask requirements. Even some of Trump’s high-profile supporters are critical of his handling of COVID and say it makes sense that he’s avoiding the subject.

“All I know is when he talks about vaccines at his rallies he gets booed,” said Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican and ardent COVID vaccine opponent. “That ought to tell him something.”

A Trump campaign spokesperson did not respond to email requests for comment. A Republican National Committee spokesperson did not directly address Trump’s handling of the pandemic but said in a statement that “four years after COVID, many Americans are still struggling” economically under President Biden, in contrast to Trump’s “record of success” as president.

Biden rarely talks about his COVID response either as polls show it ranks very low on voter concerns. But when it comes to his predecessor’s handling of the pandemic, he’s recently gone all-in.

Trump opened that door on March 18 when he asked on social media if Americans were better off than they were four years ago — precisely when COVID began rampaging through America. Biden’s campaign seized on the comment, creating an online ad criticizing Trump’s COVID leadership and posting almost daily flashbacks on social media to events exactly four years earlier.

“Four years ago today, Trump complained that inquiries into COVID test shortages were ‘a partisan witch hunt’ against him,” Biden’s campaign posted on X on Thursday.

Four years ago today, Trump complained that inquiries into COVID test shortages were “a partisan witch hunt” against him pic.twitter.com/7QJp4A5lpk — Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) April 18, 2024

And Biden himself has ridiculed Trump’s COVID response frequently in public remarks since then.

“When the pandemic hit, Trump failed the most basic duty any president owes the American people: a duty to care and a duty to respond,” Biden said at a Scranton, Pa., fund-raiser Tuesday. “Remember when he told us, ‘Don’t worry; this will all be over by Easter?’ Remember when he told us, literally, inject bleach?”

Americans are eager to forget about COVID, so it’s unlikely to be a major issue in the campaign, said Republican strategist Doug Heye. In his campaign for president, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tried attacking Trump for listening to Fauci’s advice and got no traction in the Republican primaries. But the pandemic still resonates with a lot of Republicans and could be a problem for Trump because of independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s antivaccination stand, Heye said.

“That’s a potential weakness, especially as we all try and figure out whom does Robert F. Kennedy [Jr.] hurt more? Well, on that issue, potentially it’s Trump,” Heye said. “That may be 2 percent [of voters], but 2 percent could be impactful.”

Although Trump isn’t talking much about COVID, many in his party are — and the federal government’s response still angers them, said Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican.

“I would say it’s a focus of conversation daily as we travel around. People are insistent that we never do the lockdowns again,” said Paul, an ophthalmologist who declared he wouldn’t give his children the COVID vaccine . “DeSantis tried to make it an issue in the primary and wasn’t successful doing that. ... I think maybe people in the primary chose to vote for former president Trump for maybe a different reason than just the COVID. They might have actually agreed with DeSantis on it.”

At Trump’s April 13 rally, in front of several thousand people in a grassy field just north of Allentown, he didn’t even offer his usual brief mention of COVID during a roughly 65-minute speech. He simply repeated his vow of denying funding for schools with a vaccine or mask mandate, which drew its typical roar of approval from the crowd.

“He doesn’t want to talk about the vaccine. The vaccine was [expletive],” said Laura Hartshorne, 62, a real estate agent from Northampton, Pa., who attended the rally. “He was bamboozled. They told him it was safe and everything ... and he’s really not one to admit that they told him it was OK and it wasn’t.”

Bode Brewer of Reading, Pa., is only 17 years old. But after his July birthday he’ll be eligible to vote in November and is eager to cast his first ballot for Trump, who he thinks deserves credit for handling COVID.

“I think Trump’s biggest accomplishment ... and some conservatives are very split on this, is the whole vaccine thing [Operation] Warp Speed,” Brewer said at the rally. “Look, even the far left will admit that was very successful.”

He did not get vaccinated, but several older family members who were at high risk for COVID received the shot.

“We’re not against the vaccine,” said Brewer, who volunteered for Trump’s 2020 campaign and has been to 29 rallies. “We just want personal choice.”

Young, the New Jersey man who has attended 74 Trump rallies, didn’t get vaccinated either and recalls “screaming fights” with his family members about it. So he understands why Trump has effectively removed COVID from his vocabulary.

Young, who works for a debt relief company and does acting on the side, concluded, “It’s almost impossible to talk about it.”

Correction: A previous version of this story had an incorrect second reference to Bode Brewer.

Jim Puzzanghera can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @JimPuzzanghera .