I am counting down the days (hours!!) until my trip to Israel.
And I am quickly realizing that staying up to date with the changing travel policies, is (pretty much) a full-time job. For anyone planning to travel this summer, especially those who are planning to travel via airplane or cross an international border, it is necessary to keep up with State Department Advisories, airline/airport requirements, and requirements at your destination site (including testing, paperwork, masking), as well as what the requirements are for returning to the United States.
Recently, the CDC revised its guidelines for domestic travel.
It is now recommended that anyone traveling within the United States — regardless of vaccination status — should be tested for COVID-19 before their departure (ideally, testing 1-2 days before travel, but no more than 3 days before leaving). CDC is also recommending that individuals returning from a high-risk environment (namely crowded locations/events) and who did not mask while traveling should be tested upon arrival back home. Pre- and post-departure tests can be a home test, PCR test, viral antigen test, or a rapid NAAT test (more on the types of tests below). Don’t forget to order your free COVID tests from the government.
Individuals (who are older than 2 years) traveling internationally must either present one of the following upon arrival back into the United States —
Negative COVID tests results (from a test taken the day before departure), or
Evidence of recovery from a confirmed COVID infection during the past 90 days.
All non-United States citizens entering the United States must ALSO show proof of vaccination.
And while I probably don’t need to say this, you should NOT travel if you are feeling sick, have tested positive for COVID-19, or were identified as a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
If you are traveling this summer and are required to provide proof of a negative COVID test, it is important that you get the right type of test. There are so many types of tests — PCR, antigen, home, rapid, laboratory-confirmed, NAAT, and qPCR (others?).
At the start of the pandemic, there was a lot of talk about PCR tests. This type of test was the first type of test available to test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It requires a sample (could be from deep in the nose, nostril area, mouth, or spit/saliva). A process called polymerase chain reaction (PCR, get it?!?) is used to determine whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus is present. The test is very sensitive; it can detect fragments of the virus even after the individual has cleared the virus and is no longer sick or contagious. PCR tests cost about $100 per test, require specific laboratory equipment to complete the analyses, take 1-3 days to process the results, and rarely produce a false negative result (meaning if you get a negative result, you did not have the virus in your body when the sample was taken).
PCR tests are a type of NAAT tests — nucleic acid amplification tests. These tests work by amplifying (read: making copies of) the virus’s genetic material of the virus (if it is present). However, when a NAAT test is required for travel that is usually code for a rapid test (a method called isothermic amplification is used to identify if the virus is present in the sample).
If you are required to produce negative results with a NAAT test for travel, you can get a PCR test (but timing could be an issue) or rapid test that uses a nucleic acid amplification test. When searching for testing sites or making an appointment, be sure to confirm that any rapid test you are taking uses NAAT technology. I recommend doing a google search like this —
The third type of COVID test that is available is a (rapid) antigen test. This type of test requires a swab from the nose or mouth (or some spit). The testing procedure looks for specific proteins on the virus’s surface. This type of test detects if the individual has an active infection (read: they are sick and contagious). The vast majority of home COVID tests use this technology.
As of this morning — if you are returning to the US, you can use a rapid test, rapid antigen test, rapid PCR test, or PCR test (as long as you can get results the day before you travel) to show that you are negative for COVID-19. You will be asked to attest to a negative test result before arriving back in the US. Please note — you can NOT simply take a home test on your own before coming back into the country. According to CDC —
“The testing procedure must include a telehealth service affiliated with the manufacturer of the test that provides real-time supervision remotely through an audio and video connection. The telehealth provider must confirm your identity, observe the sample collection and testing procedures, confirm the test result.”
To determine what is required to enter your destination country, you need to visit that country’s web site. Please note — information is changing daily. Keeping up-to-date on the requirements is not one and done. Checking for updates daily during the week leading up to your trip is necessary. Remember, this is like a full time job!
To help you prepare for any upcoming travel, here’s my COVID packing list.
Be safe. Stay up-to-date. And happy travels!
Great and helpful advice. Safe travels and enjoy yourself!
This is incredibly helpful. Enjoy your trip and safe travels!