US says new international travel policy ‘guided by public health’

The United States on Tuesday said its new international travel policy that will take effect on November 8 was “guided by public health.”

Under the new rules approved by US President Joe Biden on Monday, foreign air travelers will need to provide vaccination documentation. Airlines must also confirm the last dose was at least two weeks earlier than the travel date.

Vaccines accepted will include those US FDA approved or authorized, as well as vaccines with an emergency use listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Fully vaccinated travelers will continue to be required to show documentation of a pre-departure negative viral test from a sample taken within three days of travel to the US before boarding.

This covers all US citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), and foreign nationals.

“To further strengthen protections, unvaccinated travelers – whether US citizens, LPRs, or the small number of excepted unvaccinated foreign nationals – will now need to show documentation of a negative viral test from a sample taken within one day of travel to the US,” the US Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs said.

In a statement, the US Embassy in the Philippines described the new policy as “consistent across the globe and guided by public health.”

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the Department of Health and Human Services has determined that the best way to slow the spread of COVID-19, including preventing infection by the Delta variant, is for individuals to get vaccinated,” Biden said in his proclamation.

“I have determined that it is in the interests of the United States to move away from the country-by-country restrictions previously applied during the COVID-19 pandemic and to adopt an air travel policy that relies primarily on vaccination to advance the safe resumption of international air travel to the United States.” — Richa Noriega/VBL, GMA News