As of May 12, 2023, international air travelers will no longer be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the US by air. The Biden Administration will also end the vaccine requirements for Federal employees and Federal contractors, on the same day which coincides with the end of the public health emergency. The vaccine requirements have been in place since November 2021 when the US government lifted the travel bans instituted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to help ease the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The Biden Administration is ending the international air travel COVID vaccine requirement “at the end of the day” on May 11, 2023.
Read moreActual Dignity and Compassion
The White House Announces New Travel Policies Lifting COVID-19 Restrictions for Vaccinated Travelers
On October 25, 2021, President Joseph Biden issued a presidential proclamation detailing his previously announced plan to replace the current COVID-19 travel restrictions, which were issued on a country-by-country basis, with a globally consistent policy centered around vaccination and testing requirements. The new international air travel policy will be put into effect for any flights departing on or after 12:01 AM EST on Monday, November 8, 2021.
Read moreUS To Lift Travel Restrictions for Vaccinated Foreign Travelers on November 8, 2021
The White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz announced via Twitter on October 15, 2021 that the international travel bans currently in effect will be lifted on November 8, 2021. The announcement was a much anticipated follow up to the White House’s previous statement that the US would soon be lifting COVID-19 travel bans for all vaccinated travelers.
Read moreRe:Growth at Riverside Park
Riverside Park stretches along the western edge of Manhattan from 59th Street to 158th Street, a span of about four miles. It is an open secret that Riverside is the best park in the borough for running, biking, and relaxing by the water. This makes it the perfect location for a new public art exhibition, Re:Growth, A Celebration of Art, Riverside Park, and the New York Spirit. There are works of art scattered around the park, so as you explore Manhattan’s northwestern shoreline, you’re bound to come across work from at least one of the more than 20 artists represented in the event. I took a walk in the park and stumbled upon “Summer Vibe” by Sui Park, “Invasives” by Jean Shin, and “Happiness Is…” by Blanka Amezkua. Re:Growth feels like visiting a gallery, but it’s outside in the warm summer air, with the smell of saltwater all around you. It represents a safe way to experience art as we work through the uncertainties of the pandemic.
COVID-19 Recovery Depends on Immigration
The US Now Requiring Negative COVID-19 Test for Air Travelers from the UK
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that effective December 28, 2020, American and foreign national air passengers arriving from the United Kingdom to the United States must test negative for coronavirus via the PCR or antigen test no more than seventy-two hours before departure from the UK to the US. The CDC notes that this order comes after UK public health authorities announced the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 which may be up to seventy percent more transmissible than previously circulating variants. Numerous countries have announced new restrictions on UK travelers due to this new variant.
The CDC notes that this “additional testing requirement will fortify our protection of the American public to improve their health and safety and ensure responsible international travel.” In a statement, CDC explains: "Passengers are required to get a viral test (i.e., a test for current infection) within the 3 days before their flight from the U.K. to the U.S. departs, and provide written documentation of their laboratory test result (in hard copy or electronic) to the airline. Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers before they board. If a passenger chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger."