INTERNATIONAL LIMITATIONS

Explanation on the requirements and guidelines for international travel

by Rogelio Molina, Photographer

Ayear and a half into the pandemic, international travel has become available once again. Bearcats and their families can now travel to their home countries or spend time outside of the country.

However, travel isn’t as simple as it was before the pandemic. With COVID infecting people around the world, requirements and restrictions have been put in place to help slow the spread. Depending on where you are departing from and where you’re headed, the requirements will be different in each country. What are the requirements for traveling out of California to other countries you may ask?

The state of California recommends that their residents get vaccinated before any type of international travel. If they aren’t vaccinated, the California Department of Public Health suggests that venturers delay their trip until they have received both doses of the vaccine, or get tested one to three days before their trip.

When inside any public buildings or transportation, masks are strictly mandatory. From the moment someone steps foot into an airport, and all through their flight, they must be wearing a mask. These guidelines apply to all types of travel for every tourist. As of Oct,. 24, 2021, California still has a high number of cases which average up to 4,498 per day. If one is planning a trip out of the state, whether it be within the United States or outside of it, travelers must follow the guidelines and requirements to prevent the spread COVID.

A popular country such as Mexico requires that unvaccinated travelers get tested one to three days before their trip. Masks over the nose are mandatory during the flight for both vaccinated and non vaccinated travelers. Mexican authorities recommend that once you arrive you keep your mask on and maintain the five foot social distancing guideline since Mexico still averages around 3,515 cases a day as of Oct, 24, 2021. The Mexican government is strict on guidelines and recommends non vaccinated travelers avoid nonessential travel in order to prevent the risk of spreading COVID variants throughout the country. After the trip, it is recommended for vaccinated ventures but required for non vaccinated travelers to get tested within three to five days and to quarantine for seven days upon their return to the U.S.. If a traveler doesn’t get tested, they need to isolate

2019 Travel Destinations

themselves for ten days. If the test results come out positive, distancing is mandatory to prevent any spread of COVID. Venturers seeking to spend a few days in Paris, France, will need to follow basic procedures. Masks are mandatory at all times in public spaces and during the flight, and outdoor use of masks is optional but highly recommended. The French government urges you to protect yourself and others by maintaining 6 feet (2 meters) away from anyone you did not travel with and to wash your hands with either soap and water or hand sanitizer with sixty percent or more alcohol. Fully vaccinated visitors will not be held to any restrictions besides having to be tested one to three days before the trip, and proof of vaccination is required. For non vaccinated voyagers, you are required to get tested the same amount of days before the flight as vaccinated passengers. After touring Paris or other parts of France, you must show a negative test result no more than three days before the trip back to the USA. Non vaccinated travelers must come out as negative from a COVID-19 test taken no more than one day before your flight back to the United States. Once you have arrived back home, you are to get tested three to five days after your trip which applies to all travelers. Non vaccinated individuals must self quarantine for seven days after your travel, even if you have tested negative for COVID. If you do not manage to get tested after the trip, you are required to stay home and isolate for 10 days before heading out into public. However, if you turn out to have the virus, a two week self quarantine is mandatory. Monitor your symptoms at all times and try to avoid contact with anyone, including other household members. Once you have fully been isolated for fourteen days, go get tested again while wearing a mask everywhere to protect yourself and others.

As the world slowly recovers from COVID-19, people are getting vaccinated, and public spaces start to open up, the restrictions and requirements for travel may be subject to change or lifted over time. They are in place so that it’ll help get us out of this pandemic that has lasted three years now. So if you are planning to travel to these areas of the globe, take them into consideration.