Mike Segar/Reuters
- The CDC announced Friday that fully vaccinated people can safely travel in the US.
- Vaccinated travelers or people who have recovered from COVID-19 will no longer have to quarantine or get tested.
- This is the first time the CDC has declared that travel is safe for vaccinated people.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance Friday that people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can resume travel in the US as long as travelers are masked.
These vaccinated travelers – or people who have recovered from the virus in the previous three months – will not have to quarantine or be tested for COVID-19, the CDC said. However, it still recommends avoiding crowds and hand washing.
Fully vaccinated travelers looking forward to a vacation abroad will still have to be tested for COVID-19 within three to five days after traveling, but will no longer have to quarantine after arriving back in the US. However, the CDC notes that international travel could still be a risk for vaccinated travelers due to new variants of the virus.
The agency previously advised against all travel, even with the COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, this new announcement marks the agency's shift in attitude towards travel during the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the CDC's previous recommendations, air travel has continuously been on the rise since March. As a result, tourist hotspots like Miami Beach, Florida have seen a massive influx in visitors, signaling the start of an impending summer travel boom due to pent-up demand and a more robust COVID-19 vaccine rollout.