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COVID Testing and Travel

Here are some facts I picked up from trusted sites.

The Wall Street Journal reported that all travelers, including US citizens, will need to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test. This will happen on January 26, most likely. This is a directive from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Airlines must confirm the negative test for passengers prior to boarding. Those with the correct documentation will be allowed to board. If you do not have this, you will be denied boarding flights to the US.

This test must be within three days of the departure date.

If you have recovered from COVID-19, you will need documentation of that.

The CDC also recommends travelers get tested again three to five days after returning home, as well as quarantine for seven days after travel.

Of course, this does not eliminate all risk. It is one more step combined with staying at home, wearing masks, and social distancing.

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What is a Health Passport?

So, just what is a health passport? Is it like my regular passport?

A health passport, also called a vaccine passport, is an immunization record proving that a person has been inoculated against a certain virus or disease.

If you travel to South America or Africa, you may already have a health passport. This is proof of yellow fever vaccination.

While paper health passports have worked for decades, fast forward to today and technological improvements.

We now have digital health passports. These prove a means to conveniently store your vaccination info online. You can then share it electronically with those who need to see it.

How will this work? It acts similar to your regular passport. Instead of proof of identification, this provided standardized information about your health, including your vaccination certificates and most importantly your COVID-19 test results.

You would not have to worry about losing your paper card proving your vaccinations. You also would not have to worry about someone using your card, or fraud.

Is it here yet? No. According to The Points Guy, though, strides are being made to streamline the traveler experience.

Stay tuned.

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Passport Renewal

It’s a new year and with any luck we’ll be traveling again. Now is a good time to look at your passport. Double check the expiration date.

Is it valid for at least six months past the dates of any planned international trips? Since passports are good for 10 years, it’s easy to forget about it.

Not all countries are the same, either. Another thing to check is what time frame you need left on your passport to enter another country.

Let’s say you need to renew. Any idea how long it will take?

Start now as processing times vary. This could take 10 to 12 weeks for a renewed passport, according to the State Department’s website. You can also pay an expedited fee to hurry it up a little.

If your New Year’s resolutions include international travel…get your passport out now and check those dates. You’ll be glad you did.