by Julia Marnin | McClatchy Washington Bureau
If you are traveling internationally or within the US this summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you get tested for COVID-19 in the days before your flight.
The agency’s recommendation for all travelers regardless of vaccination status came in a May 16 update to its COVID-19 testing website.
“Consider testing closer to the time of departure (no more than 3 days) prior to your trip,” the CDC said.
Prior to the update, the CDC’s recommendation did not include domestic travelers who were considered up-to-date on their vaccines, according to Nation World News.
The agency still recommends wearing a mask when using public transport, but doing so is no longer in effect as of April 18.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the “busy summer travel season” that begins in late May and lasts for three months, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
domestic passenger
In the US, the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations is increasing, according to the CDC.
“Check the COVID-19 status of your destination before you travel,” the agency says on its domestic travel website.
COVID-19 transmission rates across the country can be checked on CDC’s COVID-19 community-level interactive map, which displays infections by counties.
According to the CDC, much of the country, 81%, is in an area with a low COVID-19 community level as of May 17. Meanwhile, about 14% live in an area with moderate COVID-19 community levels, and about 4% live in an area where levels are considered high.
“If traveling to an area with a high or moderate COVID-19 community level, and you live with, or are visiting, or are at risk for serious illness from someone with a weakened immune system, Make a plan to take steps to stop it.” CDC advises.
As per the map, most of Northeast is considered to be a moderate or high zone till May 17.
Additionally, the CDC is reminding domestic travelers that “state, tribal, local, and regional governments may have travel restrictions in place.”
Before returning home after traveling within the US, CDC recommends testing for COVID-19 “if your travel involves high-risk situations.”
US residents traveling internationally
For people flying outside the US, COVID-19 requirements may vary by country, and the CDC recommends becoming familiar with the rules for your destination.
“Countries may have their own entry and exit requirements,” the agency said on its international travel website.
CDC asks to check an international destination’s COVID-19 levels prior to flight.
According to the agency, when returning to the US, travelers age 2 and older are required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or “documented recovery from COVID-19 in the past 90 days.”
The COVID-19 test must be completed “no more than 1 day prior to travel”.
International travelers not considered up-to-date on vaccines, the CDC recommends, to quarantine for five days after coming home.
