FULLY VACCINATED PEOPLE CAN TRAVEL SAFELY AGAIN, SAYS CDC GUIDANCE

Vaccinated Americans can safely enjoy travelling again, according to new US guidance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance to say fully vaccinated people can travel within the US without getting tested for the coronavirus or going into quarantine afterward. According to the CDC, more than 100 million people in the US — or about 30% of the population — have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose. The agency has said it would update its guidance on allowed activities for vaccinated people as more people get the shots and evidence mounts about the protection they provide. For people who haven’t been fully vaccinated, the CDC is sticking to its recommendation to avoid unnecessary travel. If they do travel, the agency says to get tested one to three days before the trip, and three to five days after. People should also stay home and quarantine for seven days after travel, even if their COVID-19 test is negative, the agency says. The New Guidance Says: — Fully vaccinated people can travel within the US, without getting tested for the coronavirus or quarantining. People should still wear a mask, socially distance and avoid crowds, the agency says. — For international travel, the agency says vaccinated people do not need to get a COVID-19 test before leaving, unless the destination country requires it. — For travellers coming into the US, vaccinated people should still get a negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight, and be tested three to five days after arrival. They do not need to quarantine. The agency noted the potential introduction of virus variants and differences in vaccine coverage around the world for the cautious guidance on overseas travel. Already, air travel in the United States has been picking back up. Although traffic remains down by nearly half from a year ago, more than 1 million travellers daily have been going through US airports in recent weeks. Airlines do not require COVID-19 tests or proof of vaccination for travel in the US; a few states have testing or quarantine rules for travellers. The CDC cited recent research on the real-world effects of the vaccines for its updated guidance. Last month, the agency said fully vaccinated people could visit with each other indoors without wearing masks or social distancing. It also said vaccinated people could visit with unvaccinated people from a single household under similar conditions, as long as the unvaccinated individuals were at low risk for severe illness if infected. The US began its vaccine rollout in mid-December. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses given a few weeks apart. A one-shot vaccine by Johnson & Johnson was given the green light by regulators at the end of February.