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DHS Statement on the Lifting of Title 19 Requirements

Beginning May 12, 2023, DHS will no longer require non-U.S. travelers entering the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination upon request. DHS intends to rescind these Title 19 travel restrictions in alignment with the end of the Public Health Emergency and the termination of the Presidential Proclamation on air travel.

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covid travel restrictions us lifted

An official website of the United States government

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COVID-19 international travel advisories

If you plan to visit the U.S., you do not need to be tested or vaccinated for COVID-19. U.S. citizens going abroad, check with the Department of State for travel advisories.

COVID-19 testing and vaccine rules for entering the U.S.

  • As of May 12, 2023, noncitizen nonimmigrant visitors to the U.S.  arriving by air  or  arriving by land or sea  no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 
  • As of June 12, 2022,  people entering the U.S. no longer need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test . 

U.S. citizens traveling to a country outside the U.S.

Find country-specific COVID-19 travel rules from the Department of State.

See the  CDC's COVID-19 guidance for safer international travel.

LAST UPDATED: December 6, 2023

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The U.S. is about to lift a nearly 20-month international travel ban. Here's what you need to know

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  • The U.S. on Monday will lift a pandemic travel ban on international visitors from more than 30 countries after 19 months.
  • New rules will replace the ban, requiring international visitors to show proof of vaccination and a recent negative Covid test.
  • Exceptions include travelers under age 18 and those traveling from countries with low vaccine availability.

U.S. braces for surge in vaccinated international travelers

International arrival and departure halls have been among the sleepiest parts of U.S. airports since Covid-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020.

That's set to change Monday when the U.S. lifts pandemic travel restrictions that have barred many international visitors since early last year, measures that have driven down revenue at hotels , retailers, restaurants and airlines .

First instated by the Trump administration and later expanded to include more countries by President Joe Biden earlier this year, the restrictions prohibited most visitors from the EU, U.K., South Africa, India, Brazil and China from flying into the U.S.

The reopening of the border to many international visitors comes with a new set of rules, such as vaccination requirements.

Airlines have reported a jump in bookings to the U.S. and expect an immediate surge in travelers, even before peak holiday periods.

United Airlines said it expects 50% more international inbound passengers on Monday from a week earlier, when it carried 20,000 people. Delta Air Lines said it expects many of its international flights on Monday to be full and strong demand in the next few weeks. Airfare-tracking site Hopper said international flight searches to the U.S. have more than quadrupled since the Biden administration in September announced it would lift the restrictions.

Airlines have brought back more international flights, though schedules are still below pre-pandemic levels. United airline will fly 69% of its 2019 international schedule next month, up from 63% this month and its trans-Atlantic schedule will be 87% restored in December.  American Airlines ' international capacity for November and December is set to be more than double that of a year ago and down 28% from 2019.

Here is what you need to know about international travel to the U.S. starting Nov. 8:

Proof of vaccination

Under the new rules, inbound non-citizens will have to show proof that they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 before they fly into the U.S. That means the second of a two-dose vaccine must have been completed two weeks prior to departure. Documentation can be shown as a paper certificate, a photo of the document or a digitized version. It will be reviewed by airline personnel.

Accepted vaccines are those approved or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and those listed for use by the World Health Organization: Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Sinopharm and Sinovac.

Covid tests

The U.S. will also require proof of a negative Covid test from within the past three days for all vaccinated travelers. The country has required that since January for all arrivals, including U.S. citizens.

If a traveler is not vaccinated, including a U.S. citizen, the Covid test must have been taken from within one day of departure.

Both rapid antigen and PCR test results will be accepted.

Minors and other vaccine exemptions

The U.S. has outlined a number of exemptions to the new rules. Those include international travelers under the age of 18, as some countries haven't yet authorized vaccines for children or have low vaccine availability.

International visitors over the age of 2, traveling with vaccinated adults must still show proof of a negative Covid test taken within three days of departure. If they are traveling unaccompanied they must show proof of a test taken within one day.

The U.S. is also exempting vaccination requirements for visitors from 50 countries that have low vaccine availability and vaccination rates, including much of Africa as well as Afghanistan, Haiti, Iraq and Armenia.

Visitors who haven't been vaccinated for medical reasons will need to present a letter to the airline from a medical professional. There are also limited exceptions for visitors who need to travel to the U.S. for humanitarian reasons or an emergency, which will require a State Department letter before departure.

U.S. citizens

U.S. citizens are not required to present proof of vaccination before departure. However, if they do not, they will have to show proof of a negative Covid test taken within one day, instead of three days for travelers with a Covid vaccination record.

Contact tracing

All U.S.-bound travelers will be required to provide contact information such as e-mail, phone number and address to airlines in the case of an outbreak following arrival.

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Explainer: Here's what we know about how U.S. will lift travel restrictions

Passengers queue at LAX airport before Memorial Day weekend in Los Angeles

WHO CAN TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES?

What vaccines will be accepted, what roles will airlines play, what happens to unvaccinated american travelers.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Will Dunham

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The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday was trying to identify the source of an oil spill off the coast of Huntington beach, California, the agency said.

Palestinian children wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen amid shortages of food supplies, in Rafah

US drops COVID testing requirement for international flyers

International travel just got a whole lot easier. 

The Biden administration announced Friday that the United States will no longer require a pre-departure COVID-19 test to enter the country, effective Sunday.

The requirement lifted at 12:01 a.m. ET, according to a senior administration official. The rule change comes more than a year after the country started requiring a negative test for entry and more than two years since the pandemic began.

Under previous entry requirements , air passengershad to take a negative viral coronavirus test no more than one day before boarding their flight into the U.S. The rule applied to all travelers, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship, but granted exemptions to travelers 2 and older who had recently recovered from the virus. 

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The decision came, according to the official, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined based on science that the requirement is no longer necessary. The decision will be reassessed in 90 days, and the health agency plans to evaluate it on an ongoing basis.

If it becomes necessary to reinstate the pre-departure test requirement (in case of new, concerning variants, for example), the official continued, the CDC will plan to do so.

A number of other countries, including the United Kingdom , had already dropped pre-departure testing requirements for fully vaccinated visitors. 

Requirements for travelers entering the U.S. by land or ferry remain unchanged: non-U.S. citizens, nationals and permanent residents can only enter if they are fully vaccinated. There is no testing requirement for land ports or ferry terminals.

News of restriction drop well received by travel sectors

Across the travel industry, news of the pre-departure testing requirement for international, U.S.-bound travelers dropping was well received.

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow said in a statement that Friday's news "marks another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States."

"The Biden administration is to be commended for this action, which will welcome back visitors from around the world and accelerate the recovery of the U.S. travel industry," Dow continued.

And Airlines for America President and CEO Nicholas Calio said in a statement that the organization is pleased with the decision.

I got COVID while traveling: Here's what I wish I knew (and what I needed) to go back home

"The airline industry appreciates the Administration's decision to lift the pre-departure testing requirement in accordance with the current epidemiological environment," Calio said. "Lifting this policy will help encourage and restore air travel to the United States, benefiting communities across the country that rely heavily on travel and tourism to support their local economies. We are eager to welcome the millions of travelers who are ready to come to the U.S. for vacation, business and reunions with loved ones."

Members of the cruise industry also welcomed the news.

Gus Antorcha, the president of Holland America Line, said in a statement that the move is a "step forward in the return to all global travel, including cruising."

John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises, said the same.

“This is a tremendous development that allows our guests to travel more easily and without stress throughout Europe as well as experience our Alaskan cruises that conclude in a Canadian port,” said Padgett.

'Do travel restrictions work?'

The World Health Organization in January  urged countries not to rely on proof of vaccination as a prerequisite to visiting a country .

Under U.S. entry requirements, unvaccinated citizens and permanent residents will be able to enter with a negative test but most foreign nationals will still need proof of full vaccination to enter .  

The mandates contradict findings that show travel restrictions slow the spread of the virus but do little to prevent it. 

"We know that travel restrictions can’t stop the spread of these pathogens, especially when you have a novel pathogen that mainly spreads when people are asymptomatic or mild," Maria van Kerkhove, the WHO's COVID-19 technical lead, told USA TODAY in February. "You may slow spread, but it won't stop the spread."

Stewart Simonson, assistant director-general at the WHO's New York office, added at the time that while travel restrictions may work "as a domestic political matter," their efficiency as a public health measure is less certain.

"Do (travel restrictions) show the public that something's being done? If that's your perspective, then they work," Simonson said. "Do they work from a public health perspective? Are they reducing the rate of spread or the spread itself? That's another important way of looking at it, and there's a lot of uncertainty."

Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz . 

Disclaimer: This translation was last updated on August 2, 2022. For up-to-date content, please visit the English version of this page.

Disclaimer: The Spanish COVID-19 site is currently undergoing significant updates which may lead to a delay in translated content. We apologize for any inconvenience.

End of the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) Declaration

What you need to know.

  • The federal COVID-19 PHE declaration ended on May 11, 2023.
  • Most tools, like vaccines, treatments, and testing, will remain available.
  • CDC’s ability to collect and share certain data will change.
  • CDC is updating its guidance to align with data changes.

May 11, 2023, marks the end of the federal COVID-19 PHE declaration. After this date, CDC’s authorizations to collect certain types of public health data will expire.

The United States has mobilized and sustained a historic response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a nation, we now find ourselves at a different point in the pandemic – with more tools and resources than ever before to better protect ourselves and our communities.

CDC has been working for many months to fold the agency’s COVID-19 emergency response activities into its existing structure and programs, as part of an ongoing transition to sustainable public health practice. The agency has also been working with partners, including states and local territories, to prepare for the end of the PHE declaration and communicate updated reporting requirements and cadences.

While reporting frequency and source data for some metrics will shift when the PHE declaration ends, CDC will continue to report valuable data to inform individual and community public health actions to protect those at highest risk of severe COVID-19. Our priority remains providing the information necessary to protect the nation’s public health.

What Does the End of the PHE Mean for You?

Most tools, like vaccines, treatments, and testing, will remain available. But, some tools, like certain data sources and reporting, will change.

Access to COVID-19 vaccines will generally not be affected for now. The U.S. government is currently distributing free COVID-19 vaccines for all adults and children.  To help keep communities safe from COVID-19, HHS remains committed to maximizing continued access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Insurance providers will no longer be required to waive costs or provide free COVID-19 tests. CDC’s No Cost COVID-19 Testing Locator can help people find current community and pharmacy partners participating in the Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program .

Medication to prevent severe COVID-19, such as Paxlovid [129 KB, 1 page] , will remain available for free while supplies last. After that, the price will be determined by the medication manufacturer and your health insurance coverage. Check with your healthcare provider if you need early treatment to prevent severe COVID-19 .

We have the right data for this phase of COVID-19 that will allow us to understand what’s happening with the virus in America in real-time. Simply put, while what we have going forward will be different, it will still allow CDC, local public health officials, and the members of the public to understand COVID-19 dynamics at the community level.

CDC’s Data and Surveillance

Monitoring the impact of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of prevention and control strategies remains a public health priority. With the COVID-19 PHE declaration ending, some metrics will remain the same, but some will change in frequency, source, or availability. This is in part because CDC’s authority to collect and receive certain types of data will change. CDC will continue to provide sustainable, high-impact, and timely information to inform decision-making.

The following metrics remain available:

All hospitals are required to report data through the end of April 2024. This provides a consistent and comprehensive way for weekly tracking of severe COVID-19 at the county level. These data will shift from daily to weekly reporting shortly after May 11.

The National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) is the most accurate and complete source of death data, and timeliness of death certificate reporting has improved over the course of the pandemic. A new metric, the percent of deaths that are COVID-19-associated, and other metrics from NVSS will be reported weekly.

These data cover about three-quarters of the nation’s emergency departments and provide information about COVID-19 trends in most states. This is one of the fastest ways to spot changing trends in COVID-19 transmission.

After May 25, CDC will report regional-level test positivity data from the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) , a longstanding system with over 450 labs from across the country that voluntarily submit data. These data can provide early indications of COVID-19 transmission.

This will allow the CDC to track transmission and how the virus is mutating.

These data will be updated monthly, instead of weekly.

Tracking the percentage of deaths caused by COVID-19 provides a timely look at whether the proportion of COVID-19 deaths are increasing or decreasing. This is modeled after a longstanding indicator for flu surveillance.

Throughout the pandemic, case and death counts were reported weekly to the CDC by states. Case data has become increasingly unreliable as some states and jurisdictions may no longer collect case data, testing results are sometimes not reported, or some individuals skip testing altogether. CDC continues to receive line-level data on COVID-19 cases through the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System—a system that CDC uses to regularly collect case data for around 120 notifiable diseases. These data are available to the public for analysis at data.cdc.gov .

This is because after May 11 laboratories are no longer required to report results .

The V-safe vaccine safety monitoring system for health check-ins after COVID-19 vaccination closed enrollment for COVID-19 vaccines on May 19, 2023.

CDC will continue to monitor COVID-19 vaccines through its other established vaccine safety monitoring systems . V-safe users or others who get vaccinated can report any possible health problems or adverse events following vaccination to the  Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System .

CDC has published two articles in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports which offer a more detailed description of changes to data after the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration expires. Find them here:

  • COVID-19 Surveillance After Expiration of the Public Health Emergency Declaration ― United States, May 11, 2023
  • Correlations and Timeliness of COVID-19 Surveillance Data Sources and Indicators ― United States, October 1, 2020–March 22, 2023

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CDC updates Covid isolation guidelines for people who test positive

A passenger wears a mask while riding a train in Washington, D.C.

People who test positive for Covid no longer need to isolate for five days , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The CDC’s new guidance now matches public health advice for flu and other respiratory illnesses: Stay home when you’re sick, but return to school or work once you’re feeling better and you’ve been without a fever for 24 hours.

The shift reflects sustained decreases in the most severe outcomes of Covid since the beginning of the pandemic, as well as a recognition that many people aren’t testing themselves for Covid anyway.

“Folks often don’t know what virus they have when they first get sick, so this will help them know what to do, regardless,” CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen said during a media briefing Friday.

Over the past couple of years, weekly hospital admissions for Covid have fallen by more than 75%, and deaths have decreased by more than 90%, Cohen said.

“To put that differently, in 2021, Covid was the third leading cause of death in the United States. Last year, it was the 10th,” Dr. Brendan Jackson, head of respiratory virus response within the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during the briefing.

Many doctors have been urging the CDC to lift isolation guidance for months, saying it did little to stop the spread of Covid.

The experiences of California and Oregon , which previously lifted their Covid isolation guidelines, proved that to be true.

“Recent data indicate that California and Oregon, where isolation guidance looks more like CDC’s updated recommendations, are not experiencing higher Covid-19 emergency department visits or hospitalizations,” Jackson said.

Changing the Covid isolation to mirror what’s recommended for flu and other respiratory illnesses makes sense to Dr. David Margolius, the public health director for the city of Cleveland.

“We’ve gotten to the point where we are suffering from flu at a higher rate than Covid,” he said. “What this guidance will do is help to reinforce that— regardless of what contagious respiratory viral infection you have — stay home when you’re sick, come back when you’re better.”

Dr. Kristin Englund, an infectious diseases expert at the Cleveland Clinic, said the new guidance would be beneficial in curbing the spread of all respiratory viruses.

“I think this is going to help us in the coming years to make sure that our numbers of influenza and RSV cases can also be cut down, not just Covid,” she said.

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Still, the decision was likely to draw criticism from some clinicians who point to the fact that the U.S. logged 17,310 new Covid hospitalizations in the past week alone.

“It’s something that is likely to draw a wide array of opinions and perhaps even conflicting opinions,” said Dr. Faisal Khan, Seattle’s director of public health. “But [the CDC’s] rationale is sound in that the pandemic is now in a very different phase from where it was in 2021 or 2022 or 2023.”

Though the isolation guidelines have been wiped away, the CDC still encourages people to play it safe for five days after they are feeling better. That includes masking around vulnerable people and opening windows to improve the flow of fresh air indoors.

The majority of viral spread happens when people are the sickest. “As the days go on, less virus spreads,” Cohen said.

People at higher risk for severe Covid complications, such as the elderly, people with weak immune systems and pregnant women, may need to take additional precautions.

Dr. Katie Passaretti, chief epidemiologist at Atrium Health in Charlotte, said it was a “move in the positive direction.”

“We are continuing to edge into what the world looks like after Covid, with Covid being one of many respiratory viruses that are certain that circulate,” she said.

The new guidance is for the general public only, and does not include isolation guidelines in hospital settings, which is generally 10 days.

On Wednesday, the agency said that adults 65 and older should get a booster shot of the Covid vaccine this spring. It’s anticipated that the nation will experience an uptick in the illness later this summer.

Winter and summer waves of Covid have emerged over the past four years, with cases peaking in January and August, respectively, according to the  CDC .

Another, reformulated, shot is expected to be available and recommended this fall.

CDC’s main tips for reducing Covid spread:

  • Get the Covid vaccine whenever it is available. Cohen said that 95% of people who were hospitalized with Covid this past winter had not received the latest vaccine.
  • Cover coughs and sneezes, and wash hands frequently.
  • Increase ventilation by opening windows, using air purifiers and gathering outside when possible.

covid travel restrictions us lifted

Erika Edwards is a health and medical news writer and reporter for NBC News and "TODAY."

Yahoo Life

The latest on COVID: What to know about new isolation guidelines, the end of free tests and plans for a fall vaccine

A lot has changed since SARS-CoV-2 (the virus responsible for COVID-19 ) appeared on the world stage four years ago. In 2020 the novel coronavirus infected and upended the daily lives of millions of people, but today life has mostly returned to normal: Restrictions have been lifted, people are a lot less cautious and the etiquette rules around keeping yourself and others healthy aren’t so clear-cut. So if you’re confused about the current state of COVID-19 and how to reduce your risk, here’s a guide with everything you need to know — from variant- and case-tracking to the most up-to-date public health recommendations on masking, vaccines, testing and more.

Isolation guidelines

How long do you need to isolate if you test positive? Only until you are fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, published on March 1. The CDC has dropped its previous recommendation that people with COVID stay home and away from others for at least five days. Its new guidance advises people to take the same precautions that they would when sick with other respiratory viruses, like RSV and flu.

Why are the guidelines changing now? There are two primary reasons the CDC has relaxed its recommendations: The vast majority of Americans now have some immunity against COVID, and the virus is leading to fewer hospitalizations and deaths than in years past. In fact, research published in the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in June suggests that more than 96% of people 16 and older have antibodies — from previous infection, vaccination or, most commonly, a combination of the two — that fight the COVID virus. While the estimated number of COVID cases remains “high,” according to the CDC’s wastewater tracking dashboard , there were 28% fewer people sick enough to be hospitalized the last week of February compared with the same time last year. Deaths are down from 2,642 in the week ending Feb. 4, 2023, to 1,576 in the same week this year. The CDC’s data tracker predicts that both of these figures will continue to trend downward.

Are at-home tests free? Not for long. As of Friday, March 8, the U.S. government’s program offering free COVID tests to be mailed to Americans’ homes will be suspended . Each household can still order four free rapid COVID tests until then, or eight if they didn’t order any in the fall. You can place your order here . According to COVID.gov, the federal government has additional programs that provide free COVID tests “to uninsured individuals and underserved communities,” but anyone wishing to take advantage of these programs must contact an HRSA-funded health center or Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) location .

What about schools? The U.S. Department of Education announced last fall that schools will be able to order free tests “to supply students, families, staff and larger school communities.” There have been no announcements about changes to this program.

How accurate are at-home tests? The Food and Drug Administration says that at-home COVID antigen tests (aka rapid tests) are less precise than molecular tests (i.e., the PCR tests performed at a hospital or clinic), and false negatives may be more likely to happen, especially if the test is taken shortly after infection or when you don’t have symptoms. If you get a negative result on an at-home COVID test, the FDA recommends testing again 48 hours later, even if you don’t have symptoms. PCR tests are still considered the gold standard in COVID testing, but experts believe at-home tests should still be able to pick up newer variants.

Can I use an expired test? The FDA revised expiration dates for some tests to extend them by several months. Follow this link , find your test’s name, click on Extended Expiration Date and check the lot number on your box to see the new expiration date for your test.

When will there be new vaccines? An updated COVID booster shot can be expected this fall, CDC Director Cohen, told Bloomberg . Scientists are still determining which strain of the virus the vaccine should target, a decision that will likely come in May, she said.

Who should get boosted? The CDC recommends that all adults ages 65 and older get a booster dose of the updated monovalent vaccine , which became available in September. “Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year were among people 65 years and older,” Cohen said in a Feb. 28 statement . “An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk.” When the updated shot first came out, in the fall, the CDC recommended that everyone 6 months and older get a booster dose. So far, the agency is not suggesting that younger people get a spring dose. The updated vaccine targets the XBB.1.5 Omicron strain and is expected to be effective against currently circulating variants. Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines, which use mRNA technology, are approved for anyone 6 months and older . Anyone age 12 and older is eligible for the updated Novavax vaccine , which uses a more traditional protein-based approach. But few Americans have taken advantage. As of March 2, 22.2% of adults had received the newest COVID shot, according to CDC data ; more than twice as many U.S. adults (47.1%) have gotten a flu shot.

Are vaccines free? COVID vaccines are covered by insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. The federal Bridge Access Program provides free COVID vaccines for uninsured and underinsured adults, and the federal Vaccines for Children program provides vaccines for children at no cost. But the U.S. government is no longer buying and distributing vaccines, which initially led to a rocky rollout with some canceled appointments as individual doctors offices, pharmacies and insurance companies handle the process themselves.

Can you get COVID and flu shots at the same time? Yes. Research shows there’s only a slightly higher chance of experiencing side effects such as pain at the injection site or fatigue, and there’s no decrease in benefit. Experts suggest doing whatever is most convenient, and you can opt for both shots in the same arm or one in each arm.

Do vaccine cards matter? Most people no longer need to show that they’ve been vaccinated — unless you’re a health care worker or if you work in a high-risk environment, like a college dorm or nursing home. The CDC has stopped printing vaccine cards , but if you still have your card it’s a good idea to treat it like any other medical record and file it away in a safe place. If you’ve lost your card and want proof of vaccination, some states have registries that include adult vaccines, or you can contact the doctor’s office or pharmacy that administered your vaccine, which can provide digital or paper verification.

What COVID variant is dominant right now? JN.1, which was first detected in the U.S. in September, is the most dominant COVID strain . This heavily mutated version of the virus accounts for over 90% of cases nationwide, and is descended from the BA.2.86 variant (nicknamed Pirola) . HV.1, which was first detected over the summer and was once the most dominant variant, is the second-most common nationwide, accounting for about .4% of cases. Both appear to share many of the symptoms we’ve come to know from other variants, including fever, cough, stuffy or runny nose, sore throat and loss of taste or smell. Cohen told Yahoo Life that newer variants appear to be more transmissible but don’t seem to be growing any more dangerous. You can follow the latest COVID variant surveillance on the CDC website .

Are cases currently increasing or decreasing? The CDC has launched a dashboard that tracks COVID levels in wastewater. Currently, wastewater viral activity levels for COVID are "high" nationwide, but have been dropping since a peak during the first week of January. Officials are also using hospitalizations as a key indicator to gauge how prevalent COVID is in the U.S. This week’s national forecast of hospitalizations from the CDC “predicts 500 to 6,600 daily COVID-19 hospital admissions likely reported on March 25.”

When do I need to wear a mask? Masking at this point is a personal choice , but the CDC suggests using hospital admission levels in your area to determine whether a mask is necessary. You can check hospital admission levels by county here , with data updated by the CDC weekly. The CDC also recommends that the right times to consider a mask include when there are a lot of respiratory illnesses spreading in your community, when you or those around you have been exposed to, are sick with or recovering from a respiratory illness and when you or those around you are at risk of becoming severely ill from respiratory viruses. This guidance is now written to apply broadly to all viral respiratory viruses, including COVID, flu and RSV.

Are mask mandates coming back? Cohen told Yahoo Life in December that “we’re in a different place than we’ve been before," and Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in September that it’s unlikely federal mask mandates will return. Still, some individual institutions have brought masks back; as respiratory virus season kicked into full gear, hospitals in several states implemented some form of masking requirements. But as COVID cases and hospitalizations have begun to decrease, some of those temporary masking requirements are being lifted . 

This article was originally published on Jan. 8, 2024 and has been updated.

Yahoo Life answers your FAQs on current COVID-19 guidelines, case counts, masking and more. (Photo illustration: Alice Lagarde for Yahoo News; photos: Shutterstock)

covid travel restrictions us lifted

U.S. to end vaccine requirements for Canadians at land border, international air travellers: officials

The U.S. is ending its COVID-19 vaccine requirements for international air travellers and Canadians at the border as of next week, officials announced on Monday.

By the end of the day on May 11, international air travellers, federal employees and federal contractors will no longer need to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination , the White House said in a statement Monday.

“Our COVID-19 vaccine requirements bolstered vaccination across the nation, and our broader vaccination campaign has saved millions of lives,” the statement reads. “While vaccination remains one of the most important tools in advancing the health and safety of employees and promoting the efficiency of workplaces, we are now in a different phase of our response when these measures are no longer necessary.”

The statement added that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, along with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will also “start the process to end their vaccination requirements for ... certain noncitizens at the land border."

“In the coming days, further details related to ending these requirements will be provided,” the White House said.

According to Democratic Congressman Brian Higgins, whose district encompasses Buffalo and Niagara Falls, N.Y. along the Canadian border, the COVID-19 vaccine requirement will also be lifted for Canadians seeking to cross into the U.S. through the land border as of May 11.

Higgins said this has been confirmed to him by the White House after he pushed for clarity on whether or not Canadian crossings at the land border would be impacted by the U.S. lifting its COVID emergency order on May 11.

“For over three years now there have been barriers to cross-border travel,” Higgins said in a press release. “It has kept families apart and impeded economic recovery. While long overdue, this last lifting of pandemic restrictions is certainly welcome news and critically important as we seek opportunities to encourage a robust cross-border exchange that delivers shared prosperity.”

Last month, U.S President Joe Biden signed a bill to end the COVID-19 national emergency.

Canada ended its requirement for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all travellers entering the country by air or through the land border last October. 

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U.S. Ends Last Covid Travel Barrier, Vaccine Mandate for Foreign Arrivals

Ceylan Yeginsu

By Ceylan Yeginsu

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International passengers traveling to the United States no longer have to show proof of vaccination against Covid as of midnight Thursday, when the coronavirus health emergency officially ended .

The Biden administration dropped its requirement for coronavirus testing last June but kept in place its vaccination policy for foreign travelers. In February, the House of Representatives voted to end the last remaining pandemic restrictions on May 11.

“As we continue to monitor the evolving state of Covid-19 and the emergence of virus variants, we have the tools to detect and respond to the potential emergence of a variant of high consequence,” President Biden said in a proclamation published on May 1.

“Considering the progress that we have made, and based on the latest guidance from our public health experts, I have determined that we no longer need the international air travel restrictions that I imposed in October 2021,” he added.

The Blaine, Wash., land border crossing between the United States and Canada stands empty, with no cars at the more than half a dozen entry lanes.

Why It Matters: Most other countries have dropped restrictions.

For 18 months during the height of the pandemic, the U.S. closed its borders to international travelers, separating families and costing the global travel industry billions of dollars.

In November 2021, those restrictions were eased, and international travelers were welcomed back to the United States with great fanfare. But foreign travelers were still required to be vaccinated and take a coronavirus test within three days of travel to all U.S. ports of entry. When the administration dropped its testing rule in June last year but kept vaccinations in place, it argued that they were still necessary to slow the spread of new variants of the virus entering the country.

As of last summer, the U.S. was one of the few remaining countries to maintain coronavirus travel restrictions, causing many travelers to choose alternative destinations that welcome them unconditionally.

The rules barred the world’s No. 1-ranked tennis player, Novak Djokovic, from competing in the U.S. Open in 2022 because he is not vaccinated.

Background: Spending by foreign travelers in the U.S. still lags.

The initial U.S. travel ban on international travel decimated the U.S. economy’s tourism sector and resulted in losses of nearly $300 billion in visitor spending and more than one million American jobs, according to the U.S. Travel Association, an industry group.

Until April last year, all passengers traveling to or within the U.S. were required to wear masks on airplanes — a contentious mandate that led to fistfights and altercations on planes and put off some international travelers from taking long-haul flights.

Even after the restrictions were eased, spending by international travelers in the U.S. was still down by 78 percent in March 2022 compared to 2019 levels and by 56 percent for business travel, the group said.

“Today’s action to lift the vaccine requirement eases a significant entry barrier for many global travelers, moving our industry and country forward,” Geoff Freeman, the chief executive of the association, said in a statement after the May 11 end date was announced.

Ceylan Yeginsu is a travel reporter. She was previously a correspondent for the International desk in Britain and Turkey, covering politics; social justice; the migrant crisis; the Kurdish conflict, and the rise of Islamic State extremism in Syria and the region. More about Ceylan Yeginsu

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White House lifting its COVID-19 testing rule for people around Biden, ending a pandemic vestige

President Joe Biden walks towards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 1, 2024, to travel to Camp David, Md., for the weekend. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

President Joe Biden walks towards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 1, 2024, to travel to Camp David, Md., for the weekend. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Monday lifted its COVID-19 testing requirement for those who plan to be in close contact with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses, bringing to an end the last coronavirus prevention protocol at the White House.

The White House said the change aligns its policies with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. The agency last week relaxed its recommendation that those who test positive for COVID-19 isolate for five days. Now, the agency says people can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and it’s been a day since they’ve had a fever.

The White House testing protocol was instituted shortly after the pandemic began in 2020 when former President Donald Trump was in the White House. It was further strengthened by Biden’s administration when he took office amid the pandemic in January 2021.

Both Trump and Biden contracted the virus while in office. Trump required hospitalization after falling seriously ill weeks before the 2020 presidential election; Biden had minimal symptoms after catching it in the summer of 2022 after having been vaccinated.

FILE - Palestinians line up for a free meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. President Joe Biden has proposed the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza via a temporary port on the territory’s Mediterranean coast. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair, File)

More than 1.18 million people in the U.S. died from COVID-19, according to CDC data and 6.85 million were hospitalized over the past four years. More than 270 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. The vaccines have helped dramatically reduce instances of serious disease and death since their widespread availability in early 2021.

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Got covid cdc says stay home while you're sick, but drops its 5-day isolation rule.

Pien Huang

The CDC has overhauled its COVID-19 isolation guidelines, saying the virus no longer represents the same threat to public health as it did several years ago. Markus Schreiber/AP hide caption

The CDC has overhauled its COVID-19 isolation guidelines, saying the virus no longer represents the same threat to public health as it did several years ago.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is dropping its 5-day isolation guidance for people with COVID-19.

The agency made the announcement on Friday, following reports last month that the policy change was in the works.

Until now, people who tested positive were advised to stay home for at least five days to reduce the chances of spreading the coronavirus to others. Now, the CDC is replacing that with general guidance for anyone who's feverish, sneezing and coughing with a respiratory virus.

"When you get sick, stay home and away from others," says CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen.

Instead of setting a strict 5-day isolation period, the new guidance says people can return to normal activities so long as their symptoms improve, and continue improving over 24 hours and they no longer have a fever, without having used fever-reducing medications.

The guidance also recommends that people who are recovering from respiratory illness take additional precautions for five days, like wearing well-fitting masks, washing their hands, keeping a distance from others, and improving ventilation in their spaces.

"We wanted to give folks simple, actionable things that they can remember and do in order to protect themselves," says Cohen, adding that the country is "in a different place related to COVID than we've been in the past."

In its announcement, the agency said the decision reflects the "progress we have made in protecting against severe illness from COVID-19" — and that a unified approach makes recommendations easier to follow and more likely to be adopted by Americans.

The CDC may be reconsidering its COVID isolation guidance

The CDC may be reconsidering its COVID isolation guidance

A CDC survey found that less than half of people were home testing for COVID-19, meaning many people wouldn't know if they had it. Data from other countries, as well as California and Oregon, which have already adopted this policy, show that the change in guidance probably won't make much of a difference in disease transmission. Research suggests that more than half of COVID cases are transmitted from people without symptoms at the time. And many people who got COVID-19 weren't isolating anyway.

But the shift — while anticipated — faces criticism from some in public health who see this as the latest evidence that the CDC is no longer taking the threat of COVID-19 seriously enough.

"This proposal is not based on new data [on COVID transmission]," said Dr. Kim Rhoads , an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, in an email from the advocacy group the People's CDC .

"In fact, well-designed studies done in the post-Omicron and post-vaccination period show that COVID is often transmitted far beyond the fifth day of infection," she said.

Others see the updated guidance as a common-sense change that reflects present-day realities. "COVID is still a threat, but flu is also a threat and so is RSV," says Raynard Washington , health director for Mecklenburg County, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. "What this guidance does is it aligns the guidance to meet all of those challenges, not just one of them."

Deaths and hospitalizations for COVID-19 went up this winter, but nowhere near as high as they did in previous years. In fact, hospitals were mostly OK — not overwhelmed — this virus season.

Still there are almost 20,000 people getting hospitalized with COVID each week, says Katelyn Jetelina , an epidemiologist who advises the CDC.

"I would really hate for us to just throw up our hands and be like, 'This is what it is, 20,000 hospitalizations per week,' because that is unacceptable," she says.

Most of those hospitalizations and deaths are in people who are 65 and older, especially those that didn't get a booster shot last fall. CDC data shows that around 95% of people hospitalized with COVID did not get a fall booster shot.

"It's not just being over 65 that is high risk," the CDC's Cohen says, "it's being over 65 and not getting those vaccines that puts you at high risk."

Jetelina says what could really move the needle is to get more of this population vaccinated — once a year for flu, and twice a year for COVID — and linked up to antiviral drugs if they get sick.

This week, the CDC recommended a spring COVID booster shot for those 65 and older.

"We need to reach those people," she says, "This is the hard work."

  • isolation guidelines

NBC Chicago

What to do if you test positive? Here are the new CDC COVID guidelines for 2024

The change marks the first time the U.S. agency has loosened its COVID isolation recommendations in three years.

By NBC Chicago Staff and Associated Press • Published March 1, 2024 • Updated on March 1, 2024 at 4:44 pm

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its COVID guidelines for 2024, removing the five-day isolation recommendation as the agency said it aims to mirror guidance for other respiratory infections. So what do you need to do if you test positive for COVID?

covid travel restrictions us lifted

CDC updates Covid isolation guidelines for people who test positive

covid travel restrictions us lifted

CDC recommends spring COVID-19 boosters for seniors

“Our goal here is to continue to protect those at risk for severe illness while also reassuring folks that these recommendation are simple, clear, easy to understand, and can be followed,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, the CDC’s director.

Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.

Here's a look at what you should know:

What are the new CDC guidelines?

The changes mean people can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and it's been a day since they've had a fever, but the CDC still recommends those with symptoms stay home.

"The recommendations suggest returning to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication," the guidance states.

Once activities are resumed, the CDC still recommends "additional prevention strategies" for an additional five days, including wearing a mask and keeping distance from others.

There is no change to guidelines for nursing homes and health care facilities, however.

The agency is emphasizing that people should still try to prevent infections in the first place, by getting vaccinated, washing their hands, and taking steps to bring in more outdoor fresh air.

As part of the guidance, CDC suggests:

  • Staying up to date with vaccination   to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. This includes flu, COVID-19, and RSV if eligible.
  • Practicing good hygiene  by covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
  • Taking steps for cleaner air , such as bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors. 

Why are the guidelines changing?

The change comes at a time when COVID-19 is no longer the public health menace it once was. It dropped from being the nation's third leading cause of death early in the pandemic to 10th last year.

Most people have some degree of immunity to the coronavirus from past vaccinations or from infections. And many people are not following the five-day isolation guidance anyway, some experts say.

"While it remains a threat, today it is far less likely to cause severe illness because of widespread immunity and improved tools to prevent and treat the disease," the CDC stated. "Importantly, states and countries that have already adjusted recommended isolation times have not seen increased hospitalizations or deaths related to COVID-19."

COVID-19 is not causing as many hospitalizations and deaths as it did in the first years of the pandemic. The change is an effort to streamline recommendations so they are similar to longstanding recommendations for flu and other respiratory viruses. Many people with a runny nose, cough or other symptoms aren't testing to distinguish whether it's COVID-19, flu, or something else, officials say.

This may not be as stringent, but also emphasizes that all people with respiratory symptoms should stay home while they are sick, said Dr. David Margolius, the head of Cleveland's health department.

There's been no recent change in the science of how long people with COVID-19 are likely contagious, said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health.

“What has changed is how much COVID is harming us as a population,” Nuzzo said.

However, some experts worry that the change may increase the risk of infection for those people who are more vulnerable to developing severe illness.

What does this mean for Illinois?

Illinois' health department has not yet released a statement on the new guidelines, but when reports surfaced last month of potential changes in store, the department said it was still evaluating its guidelines.

State health officials said they were "aware of the CDC’s consideration of new COVID-19 guidelines and are continuing to evaluate our own statewide guidelines."

"As we work with our federal partners to provide the most appropriate recommendations to our residents moving forward, IDPH continues to emphasize the importance of using all preventative tools to protect yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19," the Illinois Department of Public Health said at the time. "Especially for those with certain underlying conditions, COVID-19 even today poses a more serious risk of severe health outcomes than RSV or flu. The lessons we learned during the pandemic continue to remain valuable for COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.  This means washing your hands frequently if you have a cough/cold/respiratory symptoms and even considering wearing a mask to prevent the transmission of those germs to others. You should also get tested if you are experiencing symptoms, as it can help you access time sensitive treatments for Flu and Covid-19.  And, let’s not forget vaccinations. Vaccinations continues to remain the most effective tool to protect you from serious illness from these respiratory infections."

What do experts say?

Some experts said the move isn't unexpected, but even some who understand the rationale for the change have concerns.

“My biggest worry in all of this is that employers will take this change in guidance to require employees to come back to work ... before they are ready to, before they feel well enough, and before they are not likely to pose harm to their co-workers,” Nuzzo said.

Others, however, said the guidelines are more "reasonable" for those who do contract a more mild illness.

"I think this is expected because they're trying to give guidelines that are going to be reasonable that people will follow," Dr. Jonathan Pinsky, the director of infection control at Edward Hospital, told NBC Chicago last month. "We already have guidelines for other viruses like influenza about how long people need to stay at home, so they wanted to kind of get in line with those guidelines and give people a reasonable instructions about how to behave."

"My reaction was, 'It's about time,' you know? We're going to have some changes in terms of these quarantines as we get year to year to year into our COVID pandemic because it is becoming, for many people, a more mild illness and it's time we sort of treat it and approach it like other respiratory viruses that we commonly see in the fall- influenza RSV - more typical durations of contagiousness and durations of isolation," said Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease chair at Duly Health & Care.

Taormina even added that it could make things safer in some cases.

"I'd rather have folks staying home for a day or two, going back to work or to their usual activities on day three or four if they're feeling better, as opposed to not testing at all because they don't want to be hung up on this mandatory five days away from work away from their activities," she said.

But many still stress that staying home if you're ill and masking will be more important than before.

"It's important to know that once you have COVID or another virus, you can still spread it especially in those first few days. And so it'll still be important to wear a mask to protect other people," Pinsky said. "If you're going leaving your home, especially if it's only after a day or two of infection, you're still going to be infectious. So it's important to wear the mask to protect other people for full 10 days."

"We're not saying that this is any less contagious, that we can go out and about - it's just for people that are having improvement in their symptoms. otherwise healthy hosts, they are less likely to be meaningfully contagious once those fevers are gone and their symptoms are getting better," Taormina said. "So with some mask wearing and picking and choosing your activities, we should be in a better place ... the messaging stays the same. If you're not feeling, well stay home."

What were the previous COVID protocols?

Here are the protocols previously listed by the agency:

Regardless of vaccination status, you should isolate from others when you have COVID-19, the CDC reports.

You should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have  test  results. If your results are negative, you can end that isolation.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you should stay home for at least five days and isolate from others in your home. The CDC notes that people are "likely most infectious during these first five days."

When you have COVID-19, isolation is counted in days, as follows:

If you had no symptoms:

  • Day 0 is the day you were tested (not the day you received your positive test result)
  • Day 1 is the first full day following the day you were tested
  • If you develop  symptoms  within 10 days of when you were tested, the clock restarts at day 0 on the day of symptom onset

If you had symptoms:

  • Day 0 of isolation is the day of symptom onset, regardless of when you tested positive
  • Day 1 is the first full day after the day your  symptoms  started

Other guidance for those who test positive:

  • Wear a high-quality mask if you must be around others at home and in public.
  • Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask.
  • Stay home and separate from others as much as possible.
  • Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
  • Monitor your  symptoms . If you have an  emergency warning sign  (like trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.

If you had no symptoms, you can end your isolation after day five, but for those who experience symptoms, that line might be different, the CDC notes.

Those who have mild symptoms can end isolation after day five if they are fever-free for 24 hours, without using fever-reducing medication, but those with more moderate or severe illnesses will need to wait until day 10.

Those who have mild symptoms that are not improving should also wait until those symptoms are improving and they are fever-free for 24 hours.

Those with more severe illness may also want to consult with their doctor before ending isolation and could need a viral test to end their isolation period.

Despite ending isolation, those who test positive should continue to avoid people and mask through at least day 11, according to the CDC guidelines.

This article tagged under:

covid travel restrictions us lifted

White House lifting its COVID-19 testing rule for people around Biden, ending a pandemic vestige

The White House has lifted its COVID-19 testing requirement for those who plan to be in close contact with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses

WASHINGTON -- The White House on Monday lifted its COVID-19 testing requirement for those who plan to be in close contact with President Joe Biden , Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses, bringing to an end the last coronavirus prevention protocol at the White House.

The White House said the change aligns its policies with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. The agency last week relaxed its recommendation that those who test positive for COVID-19 isolate for five days. Now, the agency says people can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and it’s been a day since they’ve had a fever.

The White House testing protocol was instituted shortly after the pandemic began in 2020 when former President Donald Trump was in the White House. It was further strengthened by Biden's administration when he took office amid the pandemic in January 2021.

Both Trump and Biden contracted the virus while in office. Trump required hospitalization after falling seriously ill weeks before the 2020 presidential election ; Biden had minimal symptoms after catching it in the summer of 2022 after having been vaccinated.

More than 1.18 million people in the U.S. died from COVID-19, according to CDC data and 6.85 million were hospitalized over the past four years. More than 270 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. The vaccines have helped dramatically reduce instances of serious disease and death since their widespread availability in early 2021.

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