CDC updates guidance for domestic travel
CDC recommends all travels take a COVID-19 test, regardless of vaccination status
On the heels of a recent rise in US COVID-19 cases and in preparation for an expected busy summer of travel, the CDC has revised travel guidelines for US passengers traveling domestically. The CDC now recommends all passengers, regardless of vaccination status, take a COVID test no more than three days prior to departure, ideally “as close to departure time as possible.”
Prior to this revision, the CDC only recommended pre-departure testing for passengers not up to date on their vaccinations. The CDC defines an individual as up to date when they have received all doses of a vaccine in a primary series and a booster dose when the individual is eligible.
These guideline revisions did not come about unprovoked; in just the last week, CDC informed and Washington Post compiled data noted a 28% increase in reported COVID-19 cases, with an average incidence of 30 new cases daily per 100 000 people as of May 18, 2022.
The CDC also recommends that passengers test for COVID-19 after a trip if they were in an environment of “greater risk of exposure such as being in crowded places while not wearing a well-fitting mask or respirator”. All modes of public transportation can be densely populated, small spaces with close proximity to fellow passengers for extended periods of time. This increases risk of transmission for all individuals, including those asymptomatic and those fully vaccinated.
While many are feeling burnout from COVID-induced restrictions and the desire to return to a sense of normalcy is strong, we are not out of the pandemic woods yet; continuing to take personal and public health precautions is prudent and can help drive down the COVID case count. To this end, the CDC also advises travelers to follow public health measures and rules regarding COVID-19 at their destination.
For international travel to the US, the CDC requires all passengers 2 years and older show a negative test result no greater than one day before departure or demonstrate evidence of recovery from COVID-19 infection within the last 90 days. Non-US citizens are required to show proof of vaccination.
COVID-19 testing and ordering self-tests
Viral tests, those testing for the virus causing the COVID-19 infection, detect current infection. They do not have the ability to detect antibodies, which indicate prior infection, or level of immunity. Viral tests can be performed at a testing site, laboratory, home or any location if one has a self-test. Every U.S. household is now eligible to receive eight free COVID tests, visit covid.gov to order yours. Local health departments can also provide free COVID tests; they are also available for purchase online or in pharmacies. The cost of self-tests may be reimbursable by private health insurance. A list of authorized tests is available on the FDA’s website.
Additional contributors:
Hilary Sheehy