U.S. To Ease COVID-19 Entry Restrictions
October 15, 2021
On Friday, October 15, the U.S. government announced that it will lift country-based travel bans (e.g., on China, Europe, and other countries) and replace them with vaccine requirements for incoming passengers effective November 8, 2021. The announcement of an effective date brings the U.S. one step closer to fully reopening safe international passenger air travel.
As of this alert, the government is still finalizing the details of its revised travel policies. It is expected that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will officially publish the new policy within 1-2 weeks. The CDC’s new Orders are expected to specify which vaccines will be acceptable, how airlines will verify proof of vaccination, the continuing requirement for pre-departure testing and masks aboard flights, and other operational details. Last week, the U.S. government announced that it plans to accept WHO-approved vaccines for travel, in addition to those vaccines already approved for use in the U.S. It is reported today that the government is still working on the categories of exemptions to the vaccine requirement, e.g., children under a certain age.
We are following developments closely and will update you as more information is available. If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6622), Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6665).
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