US: US to require contact tracing, Covid tests when international visitor curbs lift next month

The White House Monday said it will require airlines to check US-bound air travelers’ proof of Covid-19 vaccination and provide contact information to federal officials as part of new rules that take effect when the US lifts curbs on international visitors next month. The Biden administration earlier this month said it plans to lift pandemic restrictions that barred most visitors from more than 30 countries, including the U.K. and Brazil, on Nov. 8, allowing in vaccinated travelers. The rules were put in place first by the Trump administration in early 2020 and then extended by the Biden administration this year. The new rules, issued by President Joe Biden on Monday, will be applied to foreign visitors, including those coming to the US from countries that were not on the prohibited list. Exemptions to the visitors’ vaccine requirements include travelers under the age of 18 or those who have medical reasons prohibiting them from getting a vaccine, senior Biden administration officials said. Foreign visitors between age 2 and 17 must still take a Covid test three days before departure if they are traveling with a fully vaccinated adult. Other exemptions include those traveling on non-tourist visas from countries with low vaccine availability. A senior administration official said there are about 50 countries that would fit that bill, but that individuals who receive the exemption for low vaccine availability have to provide a U.S.-government issued letter stating the urgent need for travel. Officials consider fully vaccinated two weeks since the last dose of a Covid-19 vaccine or a single-dose vaccine like Johnson & Johnson’s. Digital and paper copies of vaccine certificates will be accepted. The CDC will require airlines to collect and track contact information from travelers and potentially share that with federal officials.<br/>