Beginning today, the United States reopens its land and air borders to fully vaccinated foreign visitors

Washington: After 20 months of travel restrictions, the United States will reopen its land and air borders to fully vaccinated foreign visitors against COVID-19 on Monday. According to CNN, the United States is throwing open its doors to vaccinated international visitors on Monday, welcoming many visitors who have been barred from entering the country for the past 20 months.

Although some state and local restrictions still apply, the United States is largely open.

Masks are required in Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, for example. Masks are also required in public places in Washington, DC and Puerto Rico.

Vaccine requirements for indoor public spaces, including restaurants, exist in some cities, including New York and San Francisco, according to CNN.

Hawaii, which had some of the most stringent entry requirements in the country, will now follow the new federal rules for international air travel.

Although the state’s capacity restrictions are easing, there are still some restrictions in place. Getting vaccinated is a must for the vast majority of international visitors hoping to enter the United States, according to CNN.

Children under the age of 18 are exempt from the requirement to be vaccinated. The complete list of air travel requirements is available on the CDC’s website.

Travelers must meet the CDC’s “fully vaccinated” criteria. Documentation on paper and digital media are both acceptable. It is the responsibility of airlines to collect and verify this information from air passengers.

A negative COVID-19 test is also required for air travellers. All fully vaccinated air travellers ages 2 and up, regardless of nationality, must undergo testing. Passengers must test negative for COVID-19 within three days of their flight’s arrival in the United States.

Unvaccinated Americans and a very small number of unvaccinated international visitors who are exempt from the vaccination requirement must test within one day of arriving in the United States.

Many airlines have mobile apps and portals on their websites where vaccination and testing information can be processed digitally, reported CNN.

Customs and Border Protection anticipates an increase in travel volumes and wait times at land and ferry crossings and is encouraging travellers to have their identification and vaccination documents ready. The agency also encourages travellers to use its CBP One app.

Staffing levels will be at pre-Covid levels, according to CBP, but the agency will be balancing multiple priorities.

“Trade and travel facilitation remain a priority,” a Department of Homeland Security Q&A about the new policy says. “However, we cannot compromise national security which is our primary mission.”

Digital and paper documentation is acceptable for proof of vaccination, and vaccine cards do not need to be in English. Travellers should be prepared to attest to their vaccination status and reason for travel.

“Trade and travel facilitation remain top priorities,” according to a Department of Homeland Security FAQ about the new policy. “However, we cannot jeopardise our primary mission of national security.”

For proof of vaccination, both digital and paper documentation are acceptable, and vaccine cards do not need to be in English. Travelers should be prepared to provide proof of their vaccination status and the reason for their trip.

They should also be prepared to show proof of being fully vaccinated if a CBP officer requests it.

Children under the age of 18 who are accompanied by vaccinated adults are exempt from the vaccination requirement. At land and ferry crossings, covid tests are not required.

According to CNN, the web of rules and requirements for international travel is undeniably tangled right now. All vaccines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization will be accepted for air travel, according to US health officials.

Currently, this includes vaccines from AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, Covaxin, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.