COVID Travel: CDC Says Fully Vaccinated Can Travel Safely Within U.S.; CDPH Drops 120-Mile Recommendation
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) – The Centers for Disease Control and the California Department of Public Health have made new recommendations for travelers amid increasing COVID-19 vaccinations.
"People who are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine can travel safely within the United States," the CDC posted on its website on Friday, saying they are less likely to get and spread COVID-19.
The fully vaccinated, which is defined as someone more than two weeks after their final dose, do not need to get tested unless their destination requires testing. They also do not need to self-quarantine.
Regardless of vaccination status, masks, physical distancing and hand washing are recommended for all travelers. Those who develop symptoms should isolate and get tested, the CDC said.
While the recommendations have been updated, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky still urged people, particularly the unvaccinated, to hold off traveling for now.
"I still continue to worry that with 80% of the population unvaccinated that we have a lot of work to do to control this pandemic," Walensky said Friday.
The CDC's recommendations come a day after the California Department of Public Health updated its guidance, dropping a recommendation to keep nonessential travel within 120 miles of home that was issued at the height of the surge back in January.
"With 18 million vaccine doses administered statewide, vaccines have made a difference and overall disease trends have improved dramatically over the past ten weeks," state health officials said Thursday. "Case rates, test positivity, transmission rate, hospitalizations and ICU admissions have all declined since the winter surge."
CDPH urges all travelers arriving in California to follow CDC guidance, to be tested 1-3 days before travel and to isolate if they develop COVID-19 symptoms.
Under the updated guidance, state residents are still being discouraged to travel outside of California. Non-essential travel by visitors from out of state also continues to be "strongly discouraged," but those who do are urged to test 3-5 days upon arrival into California and to quarantine for seven days.
