Travel restrictions: What to know about flying
Just as holiday travel returned to full swing, the new omicron COVID-19 variant erupted. Omicron caused widespread international flight cancellations, stranding many people far from home, and countries including the United States are reimposing restrictions and bans on travelers from some African countries.
On Thursday, Dec. 2, President Joe Biden announced a new strategy to battle COVID-19. His plan includes new international travel requirements and an extension of the mask mandate in airports and on public transportation, including planes.
So far, however, travel domestically and to most parts of the world is uninterrupted. Holiday travel will be ramping up soon. If you have a trip coming up, you need to know what requirements — such as COVID-19 testing, vaccination and quarantine rules — apply both at your destination and for your return to the United States, if you are leaving the country.
Here’s what to know about flying to Hawaii and Mexico, two popular destinations for Arizonans, plus things to consider about traveling internationally amid the omicron variant outbreak.
Latest Hawaii travel restrictions
Is vaccination required? Hawaii does not require U.S. citizens to be vaccinated. All travelers must create a Safe Travels Hawaii account and enter their trip details and health information.
Travelers who do not meet certain criteria are subject to a mandatory 10day quarantine. (More on that below.) To avoid the quarantine, U.S. citizens must either:
Upload proof of vaccination or Upload a negative COVID-19 test result administered by a Trusted Travel Partner within 72 hours of departure.
Once you’re in Hawaii, there are no restrictions on travel among the islands.
Is COVID-19 testing required? Unvaccinated U.S. citizens must present a negative COVID-19 test or face a mandatory 10-day quarantine.
What are Hawaii’s quarantine rules? Travelers who do not provide proof of vaccination or COVID-19 testing must quarantine for 10 days. They must fill out a Hawaii Travel and Health Form
including their quarantine location, which is their hotel or other lodging for the trip. After going directly from the airport to the quarantine location, travelers must remain there for 10 days, leaving only if medical care is required.
According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, travelers in quarantine will be subject to random compliance checks. Failure to comply is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment. See all the quarantine rules here: https:// www.hawaiitourismauthority.org.
Latest Mexico travel restrictions
Is vaccination required? Travelers to Mexico are not required to provide their vaccination status and COVID-19 testing is not required to enter the country.
According to the Mexican Embassy in the United States, travelers must complete an online questionnaire about whether they have had contact with anyone exposed to or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. The questionnaire also asks if the traveler has any symptoms.
Visiting Puerto Peñasco? There is no longer a curfew, but masks are required in public places and in vehicles with two or more passengers. Restaurants, bars and nightclubs are operating at 50% capacity and they close at 11 p.m. Get more information at https://
www.puertopenascomexico.com.
Going to Cabo San Lucas? COVID-19 testing is not required, but travelers must sign a health declaration form. Get more info at https://www.visitloscabos.travel.
Is COVID-19 testing required? Starting next week, all travelers entering the United States will have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within one day of their departure flight.
Does Mexico have quarantine rules? Mexico has no quarantine requirements.
Latest U.S international travel restrictions
Here’s how Biden’s new plan to combat COVID-19 affects U.S. citizens and anyone who wants to enter the United States from another country:
Tighter COVID-19 testing rules: Travelers who are not U.S. citizens are already required to be vaccinated. Starting early next week, all travelers arriving in the United States will be required to show a negative test result taken within one day of their departure, regardless of nationality or vaccination status.
Extending the mask mandate: Masks will be required on all public transportation, including airplanes and trains, as well as in airports and indoor bus terminals, through March 18. Fines for noncompliance start at $500 and go up to $3,000 for repeat offenders.
Should you take that international trip?
Scientific understanding of the omicron variant is in its very early stages, and that should be a concern for people considering international trips. Currently, the United States is prohibiting citizens of Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe form entering the United States.
However, Americans are still generally able to travel to and from most countries. Consider these questions as you decide whether to travel overseas.
What’s your airline’s cancellation policy? Check your ticket and your airline’s website carefully to understand the cancellation policy. Many U.S. airlines still have flexible policies that allow you to cancel and reschedule for no change fee. You may be responsible for any fare increase when you rebook, however.
What about hotels or activities you booked? Not all hotels and tour operators will refund your money if you cancel. Try to negotiate for a credit for future use if you cancel and can’t get a refund.
What COVID-19 restrictions are in place at your destination? Monitor conditions at your destination frequently to keep up with changes regarding testing, vaccination proof, quarantine requirements and whether you need to purchase an insurance policy that will cover your health care and lodging if you come down with COVID-19 while there.
Can you afford to be stranded? Consider what you’d do if new travel restrictions take effect while you’re traveling overseas and you can’t get home when you planned.
Do you have enough money or credit to pay for food and lodging until you can return to the United States?
Do you have enough time off to miss more work than expected? Will your employer grant you flexibility to be away longer?
Do you have family members or pets at home that need care? What will happen to them if you’re delayed?