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Rumors of travel to our COVID-ravaged world continue to worry those who want to return there. Do i need a COVID-19 test to get on a plane? What is a health passport? Can’t I just carry my vaccine card? If I don’t, does that mean I can’t travel? Should I just go and sit in my basement?
We’ll answer the last question first: no, don’t try to sit in your basement, in part because most California homes don’t have a basement.
Those hoping to travel to the United States or visit another country may need new documents and will have new responsibilities. Here are the answers to some common questions.
Do I need a negative COVID-19 test to take a domestic flight? Mostly no. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention briefly considered this idea last month before dismissing it. But the agency recommends that you get tested three to five days after the trip and stay home for a week.
One kind of exception is Hawaii, which requires that you test negative before you arrive or plan to quarantine yourself for the first 10 days of your stay. Your test should come from a list of designated test sites (bit.ly/hawaiitestsites).
Do I need a negative test to re-enter the United States from a foreign destination? Yes. It doesn’t matter if you are a citizen; the CDC says you must have a negative test within three days of leaving.
What if I had the vaccine? In some cases, this may not get you to a country.
You may, for example, have completed your photos, but you will not be allowed to enter Australia or Belgium. You can use the Canada Restrictions Wizard to see if your situation will allow you to enter.
For example, I said I was a foreign national, showing no symptoms of COVID and coming from the United States for a wedding. Answer: No, not allowed. There is a bit of leeway in some categories. If you want to visit a dying person you may be able to enter, but the person you are visiting must be Canadian and you must request a “compassionate entry”. If the person is not a Canadian resident, the answer is no.
Will proof of a vaccine or negative test be the key to traveling to certain countries? Probably, and that’s why you’re starting to hear about “health passports,” apps that allow you to carry proof of your vaccination or negative test on your smart device.
Who creates them? Several organizations, including the World Economic Forum and the Commons Project Foundation (CommonPass); IBM (Digital Health Pass); and International Air Transport Assn. (Travel Pass, which will be integrated into some airline applications).
Some countries are developing theirs, notably Bahrain and Malaysia. Airlines are partnering with companies like VeriFly to accelerate security / identity issues at the heart of the travel experience.
Why aren’t there more ready to use? Because it’s more complicated than it seems at first glance. The challenge is not limited to health-related travel considerations. Instead, it’s about creating a secure, digital, and comprehensive system, said Nick Careen, senior vice president of airport, passengers, cargo and security for IATA.
People are understandably worried about the security of their information. “From our perspective as a data company,” said Rob Shavell, privacy expert and CEO of Abine, “it’s very difficult to protect information once it’s available.”
Some organizations say they will leave this data with you, that is, on your phone for you to keep in control. But, Shavell said, “It’s much safer that all data stays on the phone…. [But] the applications themselves can have security vulnerabilities. “
When it comes to digital, take a look at your documentation if you’ve had the COVID-19 vaccination. Chances are, you have a little white card. The part of the name of the one I received was blank. I could have written any name. Besides, it was paper. If 60% of LA County residents receive the vaccine, that’s 5.7 million records if you subtract children under 5, based on a July 2019 census.
The LA County Department of Public Health said those records were being digitized. “We publish digital electronic vaccination records with date and type (Moderna / Pfizer / J & J) so [recipients] can save it to their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet and still access it from their phone, ”a spokesperson said in an email.
But, said Careen, the digital switchover process will “force governments to think retroactively.”
Then there is the establishment of this digital standard. Shouldn’t these vaccination records, not just those in the United States, be compliant? Unfortunately, yes. The standards are still under review, although recommendations are expected in the coming weeks, possibly sooner, he said.
Some people will be disenfranchised because they lack computer skills or accessibility. Airlines should always be able to consult paper logs. But, said Careen, “If we check everyone’s piece of paper, you’ll never get an airliner off the ground, let alone fix an operational problem.”
Why would proof of vaccine be accepted if those who have been vaccinated can still spread the virus? Much is still unknown about the spread of COVID-19 from people who have been vaccinated, but it appears that vaccination reduces the risk of infecting someone else.
“Transmission occurs when enough viral particles from an infected person enter the body of an uninfected person,” said microbiologist Deborah Fuller of Washington University School of Medicine in a conversation with the World Economic Forum, which works to develop CommonPass.
“In theory, anyone infected with the coronavirus could potentially transmit it. But a vaccine will reduce the risk of that happening.
“In general, if the vaccination doesn’t completely prevent infection, it will drastically reduce the amount of virus coming out of your nose and mouth – a process called shedding – and shorten the time you expel the virus. This is a big deal. A person who spreads less virus is less likely to pass it on to someone else. “
Because it’s not 100%, social distancing, vigilant hygiene, and masking are always a good idea, she said.
Countries are also concerned that travelers contract COVID-19 and need to be hospitalized, which is why many want proof of vaccination and health insurance. They don’t want their health systems to be overburdened with outsiders taking up precious resources that should be reserved for citizens.
Each country has its own entry requirements. For example, European Union countries have opened their borders to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and China (but with retroactivity conditions from China). Notice which country is not on this list.
Maybe you can try Iceland or Italy. No. Iceland is not a member of the European Union but follows its guidelines, as does Italy, a member of the EU. Until now, US citizens are prohibited from non-essential travel to these and other countries.
Change is a constant, so the destination’s website or its embassy will come in handy. Also check out the IATA open-closed map, which displays the rules and regulations for visiting various countries.
If it sounds messy, untrained, and a little out of control, that’s because it is. No one has foreseen this, but organizations try to gain the upper hand if possible.
Going forward, Careen says his job is to make this “less chaotic.”
“We owe it to… the industry. … We owe it to consumers.
Do you have a travel problem or a question? Write to [email protected]. We regret that we cannot respond to all requests.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
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