Traveling guidance updated as more people get vaccinated
CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION) Guidance for travelers is being eased in the midst of spring break and Easter as more people get vaccinated.
“Fully vaccinated people can resume travel at low risk to themselves,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
The CDC announced that fully vaccinated people traveling within the country are not required to get tested before or after travel. They are also not required to self-quarantine. Unvaccinated people traveling are still required to get tested before and are recommend self-quarantine after travel.
The California Department of Public Health also made some changes by lifting a recommendation to stay within 120 miles of home on Thursday. But the State of California updated its travel advisory to also address the CDC announcement.
“Whether you're vaccinated or unvaccinated when you come from out-of-state travel, or you're going to go out of the country, you're required to test one to three days before you leave," said Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel. "And then quarantine when you get home, either for ten days or seven days if you test.”
Dr. Newel said her biggest concern is that she doesn't want people to take the California variant to other states and for out-of-state people to bring non-California variants into California.
“I'm really worried about so much happening at the same time," said Dr. Newel. "And I don't want to repeat of last year, where the governor started opening a whole bunch of stuff up, and then we had that summer surge.”
Despite the CDC's believing fully vaccinated people can resume travel at low risk to themselves, they also do not recommend traveling due to the rise of cases in other states.
