Travel Vaccine Breaking News

Beginning January 26, 2021, the U.S. government will require all passengers two years of age and older traveling to the USA from any international location to test negative for COVID-19 within three calendar days of departure, stated American Airlines in a press statement issued on January 13, 2021.

'We support the implementation of a global program to require COVID-19 testing for travelers to the USA.'

'American is working closely with U.S. authorities as it implements this new order and, at the same time, taking care of any affected customers by assisting them with rebooking options. Our team is proactively reaching out to customers who may be affected by this order to ensure they know what to expect.'

The Governments of Canada and Ontario announced on January 6, 2021, COVID-19 testing will be offered on-site at Toronto Pearson International Airport for international travelers who wish to take a test before leaving the airport.

The Government of Canada has implemented robust measures at Canada's borders to prevent and mitigate the importation of new SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 cases associated with international travel. This includes a mandatory 14-day quarantine for most arriving travelers and a new requirement for a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test result at least three days before boarding a flight to Canada.

"Our response to COVID-19 will continue to be guided by science, and this pilot program will allow us to further Canadian research on the most effective measures in a combination of quarantining and testing," stated The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, Government of Canada, in a press release.

However, this new testing service does not change a traveler's mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement upon entry into Canada.

According to the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), nine out of the past ten days have recorded over 1 million air passengers being screen at an airport located in the USA. On January 3, 2021, about 1,300,000 million people were screened by the TSA.

This data reflects an approximate 25% increase in activity since October 2020.

Even though the recent upward trend indicates travelers are returning to the sky, this data reflects an overall 50% decrease from last year.

In the USA, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, located in Georgia, is the busiest airport. It handles 53.4 million passengers per year. That's almost 1,000 flights per day.

Local media reported foreign tourists who arrive in Quintana Roo will be charged $10 beginning April 2021, according to reforms to the Quintana Roo Finance Law. Quintana Roo is a Mexican state on the Yucatán Peninsula.

The State Secretary for Tourism, Marisol Vanegas, has endorsed this determination by ensuring that “a payment of 10 dollars to the international profile ... will not make a dent” in the arrival of tourists.

Data sources indicate international routes accounted for about 8 million air passenger arrivals into Cancun during 2019.

The country of Israel reported highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) outbreaks in poultry and wild birds during December 2020, according to the latest World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) report.

The OIE stated last time that the virus was diagnosed in Israel was in January 2020 in a Bonelli's eagle in the desert. And the last time that it was diagnosed in a commercial farm was in April 2019, in a northern turkey farm.

Due to the ongoing circulation of various strains (H5N1, H5N2, H5N8, H7N8, etc), outbreaks of AI continue to be a global public health concern. There are many AI virus strains, which are usually classified into two categories according to the severity of the disease in poultry: low pathogenic strains, which typically cause few or no clinical signs in poultry, and highly pathogenic strains, which can cause severe clinical signs and potentially high mortality rates among poultry, says the OIE.

The OIE avian influenza Vaccine Bank has been closed, but it paved the way for the creation of foot-and-mouth disease, rabies (dogs), and Peste des petits ruminants Vaccine Banks.

Avian influenza is not related to the annual flu virus.

The U.S. Transportation Services Administration (TSA) reported 1,284,599 people traveled through US-based airports on December 27, 2020. This is the greatest number of screened air travelers since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

However, this new data indicates air travel in the USA remains about 50% below the volume compared with last year. There were 2,575,985 passengers screened by the TSA on the same of 2019.

Unfortunately, travel with the United Kingdom may see a significant decrease this week. 

On December 25, 2020, the U.S. CDC issued an Order requiring proof of a negative https://www.coronavirustoday.com/coronavirus-testsCOVID-19 test for all air passengers arriving from the UK to the USA. With specific exceptions, foreign nationals who have been in the UK during the past 14 days may not enter the US, even with a negative test result.

This new CDC Order went into effect late on December 27, 2020.

The US Department of State issued a Do Not Travel Advisory for the French West Indies, which includes Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Saint Martin, and Saint Barthélemy, due to health and safety measures and COVID-related conditions.

The State Department's Travel Advisory issued on December 21, 2020, states 'the French West Indies has lifted stay at home orders and resumed some transportation options and business operations. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive Alerts and make it easier to be located during an emergency.

Additionally, the U.S. CDC had issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for the French West Indies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To see the CDC's worldwide COVID-19 alerts, visit this webpage.