This may have been reported before, if so, I missed it.
My local paper reported this morning that starting in early November vaccinated foreign travelers will be allowed into the US. There was no mention of also needing a covid test.
Not said, but I hope that means returning vaccinated US travelers will no longer need a covid test.
Frustrating thing for Canadians is that the US government still hasn't announced if mixed vaccines are acceptable. I'm one shot Astra and 1 shot Pfizer, me and 3.9 million other Canadians were vaccinated this way.
Allan, us too (AZ and Moderna). But since I'm currently loving life in France, I couldn't care a jot!
While this is a step in the right direction, it will be mostly useless to most Canadians because.....
It would be nice if someone would grant an exemption for Point Roberts.... SOON!
That is weird. The studies I have read about say that the mixed vaccines actually provide a higher degree of protection than the ones with only one type of vaccine. Strange that the CDC shouldn't recognize that.
Anna, in the US we haven't been mixing vaccines (yet) so its not an issue domestically. Unfortunately, the status of foreign travelers is not a priority for the Food & Drug Administration, CDC and Homeland Security to address. Even so, they would have to have a convincing amount of evidence to review, of which few studies were done here in the US. The priority right now is reviewing data on booster shots, which is more of an US issue. Sorry. Its not being intentionally mean.
Oh, it doesn't affect me personally, I have got two Biontech shots. :-) Also, the United States aren't my next travel destination, though I would love to go there again some time soon.
It seems equally weird though if they should consider only studies done in the US. I would expect them to accept high quality peer-reviewed studies and not be biased depending on where studies were done.
We will still need a negative PCR test to return to Canada. That
should put a stop to the quick trips across the border to do some
grocery shopping or fill the tank up with some cheaper gas.
I was talking to a friend yesterday who just got back from a cycling trip in Spain and France. He said the paperwork and testing made it much harder to get back into Canada then into either of those two countries. Andrea, I hope you'll respond with your experience once you're back. In the meantime we'll all wish we were you.
Bob, this is what I read today per Frank II's link:
"Under new rules announced by the White House, vaccinated people who have had a negative test in the 72 hours before travelling will be allowed to enter."
So test is still needed.
"As mentioned above, there still hasn't been a ruling on the issue of mixed vaccines. I received a mix of Pfizer / Moderna and according to current rules, the CDC does not accept that (despite the fact that those two vaccines are identical)."
The CDC will not allow us to mix vaccines. I have the Moderna shot and have not been able to get a booster shot because until now the only booster was Pfizer. Note, Moderna and Pfizer are based on the same technology but are not identical. The Moderna booster (which is in the final stages of approval) is only 50% strength and Phizer's is 100%.
Until someone does a test in the US that shows the mixing of shots is safe it won't happen here. I too wish the US would accept Canada's experience.
""Under new rules announced by the White House, vaccinated people who have had a negative test in the 72 hours before travelling will be allowed to enter."
So test is still needed."
Only if you are coming by air or ship. The announcement that I read said:
"Non-U.S. air travelers will need to show proof of vaccination before boarding a flight, and will need to show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test. Foreign visitors crossing a land border will not need to show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test."
Note the exclusion for a test in crossing a land border.
1) Will more countries now open up to vaccinated US travelers since the USA is now open to their travelers?
2) When will Israel open up to others?
3) I doubt if this means that returning Americans would not need the COVID test.
4) At what point would the vaccination requirement include the booster?
Will more countries now open up to vaccinated US travelers since the
USA is now open to their travelers?
It's more like the other way around... Many countries have opened up to vaccinated US travelers quite some time ago in spite of the fact that the USA wasn't open to their travelers.
vaccinated Americans returning home are still required to show a test
result to get on the plane
Just wondering: Is that a government requirement or an airline requirement?
Anna, government requirement. But they expect the airlines to enforce it by not letting people fly back without checking.
Anna, government requirement. But they expect the airlines to enforce it by not letting people fly back without checking.
Specifically it is a US government requirement; the airlines and airport security abroad are the enforcers. Nobody asks for it when you land back in the US.
My understanding of the new requirements starting in November are as follows. (These are just the COVID-specific requirements, all the usual visa requirements of course still also apply. Some of these requirements are of course already in place.)
Entering the United States by air:
Entering the United States at the land border:
@Stan & Jojo Rabbit: Thanks for the clarification!
Allan: "Frustrating thing for Canadians is that the US government still hasn't announced if mixed vaccines are acceptable."
Good news for all the mixed dose Canadians (and other nationalities). You're good to go!
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/u-s-canadian-travellers-mixed-vaccines-1.6213176
Anna, I may have spoken too soon about mixed vaccine approvals.
Great news about the mixed vaccine approval. Now it's time to work on the Canadian government to ease up on entry requirements to get home. My wife has a friend who got back from San Diego last night. Testing cost $340 for her and her husband to meet requirements to fly home.
