ORLANDO, Fla. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its travel guidance Friday for people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The agency says those with completed vaccinations can now travel safety, eliminating some of their previous testing and quarantine recommendations.
As a tourist destination, the updated guidance is particularly consequential for Central Florida.
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Although the CDC approved travel for the fully vaccinated, right now, they’re still advising against it because of a recent rise in COVID-19 cases.
Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Aftab Khan says he saw this exciting news coming.
“I’ve been saying this for a very long time, that the CDC has to be less prescriptive to fully vaccinated people,” Dr. Khan says.
The CDC announced Friday they’ll be doing just that, saying people who are two weeks past their final shot can travel, don’t need to get a negative COVID test before domestic travel, and won’t have to go into quarantine when they return home.
This update from the CDC is particularly important for Central Florida, because the economy thrives on tourism.
The guidance for international travel is slightly different.
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In order to leave the country, fully vaccinated people don’t need a COVID-19 test prior to travel, unless it’s required by the destination.
They still don’t need to self-quarantine after returning to the U.S., but the CDC says they should still have a negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight to the U.S. and a follow up test three to five days after their return.