U.S. Requiring Proof Of Vaccination On Land And Sea Borders
Non-U.S. citizens entering the United States via land borders and seaports will need proof of full vaccination from today (January 22.)
Although the U.S. made proof of vaccination mandatory for most travelers in November 2021, unless they had a medical exemption or traveled from a country with very low vaccination rates, they didn’t enforce this on land borders or seaports.
As a result, essential workers could cross land borders without proof of vaccination because over two-thirds of goods traded between the U.S. and Canada travel via roads.
As of today, this is no longer the case.
The new restrictions will apply to both travelers for essential and non-essential purposes.
Canada, however, imposed its own vaccine mandate for U.S. truck drivers crossing the Canadian border.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supported the mandate on Wednesday that was revealed in November, stating Canada was “aligned” with the United States, its largest trading partner.
The New Restrictions On U.S Land Borders And Seaports
Upon entry to the U.S. via land ports or ferry terminals, non-US individuals must prove their COVID-19 vaccination status. The vaccine must be a WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccination, such as:
- Pfizer-BioNTech
- Moderna
- Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen
- Nuvaxovid
- COVOVAX
- Covishield
- Bharat Biotech
- Sinovac
- Sinopharm
The DHS Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, said the DSA will require: “non-U.S. individuals entering the United States via land ports of entry or ferry terminals along our Northern and Southern borders be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and prepared to show related proof of vaccination,”
The U.S. won’t require testing on land borders or seaports.
The DHS first announced these changes in October 2021. The vaccine mandate aligns with air travelers who must also show proof of vaccination.
The new rules on land borders or seaports don’t apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or green cardholders.
But What If I’m Flying To The United States?
So, like most people, you’re flying into the United States? That’s great—here’s what you need to know:
Travelers can enter the United States via air if they meet the following requirements:
- They can prove they’re fully vaccinated and have received their last dose within 14 days of departure
- They provide evidence of a negative lateral flow test or PCR test within 24 hours of departure. This used to be longer, but the U.S shortened it after Omicron emerged.
- Only travelers with an exemption can enter the United States via air if they’re not fully vaccinated
- Children under 17 can still enter if they’re unvaccinated. They won’t have to quarantine on arrival, but they must take a test on days 3 to 5 and self-isolate if any symptoms emerge.
The COVID-19 Situation In The United States (January 22)
The United States is currently going through a surge in COVID-19 cases because of Omicron.
The current 7-day case average is 740,726; that’s an all-time high for cases. But cases have decreased in recent days. It appears COVID-19 cases in the United States may have peaked.
Restrictions will vary depending on the state you visit.
