It can be hard to believe the United States launched the ’15 Days to Slow the Spread’ campaign and a near-lockdown of the country and the world for non-essential travel a year ago. A year later, there are fewer travel restrictions as the health situation improves in several regions. ANAHEIM, CA – February 18: General views of Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland … [+] Resort, partially reopened for outdoor food and shopping on February 18, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by AaronP / Bauer-Griffin / GC Images) GC Images Vaccine Replaces Mandatory Quarantines Travel restrictions have gradually eased in the United States and around the world since late spring or early summer 2020. At the same time, governments have been adapting their travel guidelines to the latest medical technology. For example, people might be able to waive the mandatory quarantine for up to 14 days by having a negative coronavirus test result. Getting a pre-arrival test may be the best option to avoid any potential quarantine. As more people around the world become eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, states and countries are allowing fully vaccinated people to waive testing and quarantine requirements. Shorter quarantine periods States have also reduced the mandatory quarantine period from 14 days to 10 days. It may also be possible to waive all or part of the quarantine with a pre-arrival qualification test or by passing a follow-up test. Some of the states that have flexible self-quarantines include: Alaska Connecticut Kansas Maine Maryland Massachusetts New Jersey New York Rhode Island The states of Vermont may continue to require visitors to complete a travel health form or face a legal penalty. potential. Some States Relax Travel Restrictions Here are some of the destinations that are relaxing their travel restrictions. Massachusetts About 10% of the US population currently receives a full vaccination. More and more states are waiving travel restrictions for people who travel at least 14 days after their last dose. Massachusetts is one of the first states to waive its mandatory quarantine or test negative before travel for those fully vaccinated. People who have also tested positive in the past 90 days and have been successfully quarantined can opt out of quarantine or the diagnostic test. Travelers will need to show proof of a positive test result to show they still have active antibodies. Bay State also has one of New England’s most restrictive travel orders for out-of-state visitors. For example, visitors from border states cannot enter unrestricted, as most states allow. Only visitors from “low-risk states” can enter without quarantine or having to undergo diagnostic testing if they are not vaccinated and are traveling on non-essential travel. For a very long time, Hawaii was the only state on the list. These states are now classified as low risk (as of March 3, 2021): Hawaii Missouri Oregon Puerto Rico Washington Hawaii Hawaii also plans to allow fully vaccinated people to enter without undergoing a diagnostic test or having to self-test. in quarantine. This exemption could come into effect as early as May 1, 2021. New Mexico New Mexico has abandoned its mandatory self-quarantine effective February 11, 2021. Prior to February 11, this notice did not even allow an exemption for testing diagnostics. While quarantine is no longer necessary, the state still strongly recommends a 14-day self-quarantine. California California continues to recommend a 10-day quarantine for out-of-state visitors and returning residents. California residents have a greater incentive to travel within the state, but it is still advisable to stay within 120 miles of their home. Disneyland plans to reopen on April 30, 2021, but only residents of California can initially book tickets. Disneyland’s occupancy limit depends on the current state of health of Orange County: Red: 15% capacity Orange: 25% capacity Yellow: 35% capacity Stadiums may also reopen as of April 1, 2021, with reduced capacity. Chicago Chicago (Illinois has no statewide travel restrictions) now only has a two-tier travel advisory. States and territories are assigned an orange or yellow risk rating: Orange: 10-day quarantine or negative pre-arrival PCR test Yellow: no quarantine or pre-arrival testing required As of March 9, 2021, 24 States and one territory (Puerto Rico) have a yellow rating. Social distancing is expected, but entry requirements for the trip are minimal for visitors. Belize Belize is waiving mandatory pre-travel testing or self-quarantine for travelers with proof of vaccination. Mexico Mexico was one of the first countries to reopen international travel in the summer of 2020. Americans can reach Mexico by air, but the land border remains closed to non-essential travel. You won’t have to quarantine or take a pre-travel test to get to Mexico. But the United States currently requires a diagnostic test on re-entry. Dominican Republic In what might be a surprising decision, the Dominican Republic no longer needs a pre-arrival diagnostic test to enter this Caribbean nation for most international tourists. Instead, arriving guests can take a random breath test. Authorities say that between 3% and 15% of people will be tested with those showing potential symptoms of COVID-19. Most Caribbean destinations continue to require a pre-arrival diagnostic test to enter the country without quarantine. Iceland Iceland is a European nation welcoming Americans back from March 18, 2021. The only caveat is that tourists must be fully vaccinated. Europe (Western Europe in particular) remains the “holy grail” of international tourism. Americans have not been able to travel to the continent since the start of the pandemic. For now, Europe is adopting a regional reopening approach. But regional variants trigger another round of lockdowns at the same time. Deploying the vaccine may increase the likelihood of Americans traveling to Europe, but the Schengen area remains a travel dream for non-essential travel. Seychelles Two small tropical paradises of the Indian Ocean open to tourists. Seychelles is the first of the two nations as of March 25, 2021. Most international visitors can travel to Seychelles. South African residents are a notable exception. Travelers can enter if they have a negative diagnostic test within 72 hours of arrival. Vaccination is not required and there is no mandatory quarantine with an eligible test result. Maldives The Maldives are the second tropical paradise to open up to tourists. This island nation opened in mid-2020 and has remained open ever since. Visitors must take a PCR test no later than 72 hours prior to arrival, but do not need to self-quarantine when staying at the same licensed resort for the duration of their stay. However, there may be additional restrictions when staying overnight on different islands or visiting the capital city of Male. Summary The regional non-essential remains relatively free for most states in the United States. Mexico and the Caribbean continue to be the most welcoming places for Americans to travel abroad. If the health situation improves, states can reduce travel advisories further, but still expect social distancing measures for the foreseeable future. Related Articles:.



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