CAL urges passengers to learn US travel rules

| 08/11/2021 | 50 Comments

(CNS): From today, all non-US citizens flying into the United States must be fully vaccinated in order to travel, a requirement that is part of a new international air travel policy introduced by the US government. All foreign travellers must also show a negative COVID-19 test result. Cayman Airways is urging passengers to conduct their research and secure the necessary travel documents required for entry to ensure they are able to travel as planned.

The new US policy requires anyone other than US citizens and residents to present proof of a valid COVID-19 vaccination before boarding any plane destined for the United States, with only limited exceptions, as well as the submission of contact tracing details.

The CDC has ruled that for entry into the US, vaccines accepted will include those FDA approved or authorised, as well as vaccines with an emergency use listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization (WHO). The CDC also requires airlines to collect passenger information for contact tracing and to have passengers acknowledge the collection of that data. 

Passengers will continue to be required to complete an attestation form before travel to the US, regardless of nationality, which has now been updated to reflect the vaccination requirements and the data collection.

The US Government requires all air travellers aged two or older to show documentation of a pre-departure negative viral test (PCR or rapid Antigen tests) certified by a local provider or to provide documentation of recovery from COVID-19.

For vaccinated passengers, this test must be from a sample taken within 72 hours of travel to the United States before boarding. If a child is not fully vaccinated and travelling with a fully vaccinated adult, they can show proof of a negative viral test from a sample taken within 72 hours of departure consistent with the timeline for fully vaccinated adults.

For unvaccinated passengers, this test must be from a sample taken within 24 hours of travel to the United States. Unvaccinated children travelling alone or with unvaccinated adults will have to show proof of a negative viral test taken within 24 hours of departure. Testing requirements are for all travellers (US citizens, permanent residents and foreign nationals) regardless of vaccination status.

Passengers who are unable to travel under these new rules are encouraged to contact Cayman Airways at 345-949-2311 to make alternate arrangements. 

See more information on the US State Department website

For more details of all the new rules on vaccines tests and document requirements see the CDC website links below:

International travel

Proof of vaccination

Combined passenger attestation

Testing international air travelers    


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Category: Local News, Travel

Comments (50)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    It would be really helpful and useful if there was somewhere in island that could do express tests within a couple of hrs- even if they charged a premium price. If you are going long haul (and the destination country works out the 72 hrs from time of the test- which many do) then the 72 hours can be tricky to meet- especially if it takes 24 hrs to get a test done here. That’s 24+hrs you have most of the 72 before u even get on the plane at this end !

    • Anonymous says:

      Really?
      Its called planning my friend.
      Make and appointment and turn up
      72 hours is plenty of time

      • Miami Dave says:

        Everywhere else in the world 72 hours is plenty of time but I can assure you that is not the case in Cayman.

        We are going to see chaos when tourists need to fly back to USA and Canada as the current system CANNOT handle that many tests in such a short time.

        Just look at the mess we have had the past few days.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Learning is one thing but without understanding there will be no retention. Can’t wait to hear the excuses from passengers that are denied entry.

  3. Anonymous says:

    We want to follow the US with everything but not their good plan for travel? We can go there with no quarantine or repeat tests but we make it horribly inconvenient for them to come here. Just wrong!

    • Anonymous says:

      It’s really just a temporary measure in an attempt to appease the irrational fear mongers. Intended to be rectified in Phase 5 once the voters have calmed down a bit.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yeah lets even it up.
      Lets make them fly to Jamacia to get a visa.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Looks like that $2M earmarked by André for small businesses is going to be added to CAL’s subsidy at this rate; who on earth unless absolutely necessary is going to want to travel and endure this kind of headache, – ‘hooray borders are opening !’ when will it end

    • Anonymous says:

      Regrettably , it wont end . Many in Cayman will have to decide if living under continual travel restrictions for the for-seeable future / indefinitely , aligns with their long-term outlook of living here .

      • Anonymous says:

        Wake up sleepyhead, every country on the planet has had some kind of screening process and public health rules for over a year. It’s a normal part of international travel during a pandemic that has killed >5 million people.

  5. Anonymous says:

    08@2:57pm – vaccine passport? That would be the HSA app you can get if you’re locally vaccinated. That’s about as much as other countries too.

  6. Anonymous says:

    What is now considered a valid vaccination status? How old can the last jab be?

  7. Anonymous says:

    Quarantine really worked- 52 breaches in August is just one example.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Great to see today that BA and other UK airlines flew from London to over 17 destinations in America as the USA cancelled quarantine for vaccinated visitors. Also quite funny that the anti-vax idiots in Cayman won’t be able to ever travel anywhere because they stupidly refused to get vaccinated and kept us all locked here for 18 months until we hit 80%, as well as creating the current outbreak in Cayman.

    • Anonymous says:

      YUP, especially if they lost their job because they didn’t get vaxxed and can’t travel to get home!

    • Anonymous says:

      STFU, there are many safer and way much better places to go in the world without being vaccinated.

      • Anonymous says:

        Not without long quarantine

      • Anonymous says:

        Until you realize that there are only so many flights out of Cayman….that aren’t going to a country that requires full vaccination. I don’t think you’ll be able to leave cayman and enter another country without vaccine or quarantine.There are only so many places the planes fly to…

    • Anonymous says:

      America never had quarantines for visitors. Or you are talking about Australia?

    • Anonymous says:

      No, BA started flying to the US yesterday as it was the first day since March 2020 that people have been allowed to visit from the UK! Nothing to do with quarantine.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Why can’t children coming here from the US be treated the same as those going to the US? That would mean have to have a negative pcr but not have to do 14 day quarantine. Why is that not allowed here? Kids and people need a mental health break from the island.

    • Anonymous says:

      That is phase 5. For some reason NOvember 20 is phase 4 only. Unvaccinated kids can come in phase 5 in January.

      • Anonymous says:

        Thanks to lockdowns our children weren’t able to build up immunity with a lesser strain of the virus. Now Delta is running free amongst the schools. We are at level 4, but if a child travels to a level 2 country, the child must quarantine upon return. At what point does common sense kick in? People in North America are running marathons, going to major events. What happened to all the Super Spreader predictions from Cayman – “Give it two weeks”. The paranoia here is off the charts and it is truly embarrassing. At some point, our government needs to come to the realization that they either have no clue what they are doing, and rejoin the the real world. Hopefully Wayne’s travel abroad will open his eyes.

    • Anonymous says:

      Oh please… The kids could care less for what YOU believe is ‘a mental health break from the island.’ You are just plain stupid! The kids just want you to stop posting nonsense and get on with life.

    • Anonymous says:

      Worse. It was and NOW they’ve changed it. So we are going BACKWARDS!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Doesn’t even have to be PCR to go to the states. Can do rapid antigen.

      • Anonymous says:

        It’s actually just a CDC attestation that you’ve tested negative and is a minimal pre-clearance screening step done at airline checkin. Nobody collects the form on USA end.

    • Anonymous says:

      The guidance says anyone coming back unvaccinated from a country with higher than 60% vac rate you need 10days quarantine. The guidance also says minors need to do 14 days. Once again the guidance is not clear.

    • Anonymous says:

      People lasted here for a long time without having to take a mental health break. You just want to go to Dolphin mall and eat McNuggets.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yeah they really want to go shopping at mall with you.
      Try East End,
      Kaibo, The Brac or Little Cayman

  10. Anonymous says:

    CNS – “The US Government requires all air travellers aged two or older to show documentation of a pre-departure negative viral test (PCR or rapid Antigen tests) certified by a local provider or to provide documentation of recovery from COVID-19”

    Can you please confirm the statement of LOCAL Provider? This is NOT the CDC requirement and CAL is wrong.
    E-med has CDC / FDA approved tests that travellers can do via video and are accepted by USA CDC for entry.

  11. Anonymous says:

    why do we not have vaccine passport system here for social settings?
    used successfully everywhere else in the developed world.

    • Anonymous says:

      We have the passports, just not the law in place for the system. It can be easily implemented but then you will be hearing the cry of the anti-vaxxers that they are being oppressed. Can’t win for losing.

      • Anonymous says:

        I’m vaccinated and I still take issue having to share my private medical data with any private establishment. How will my data be stored, for how long etc? This is clear overreach of civil liberties by public health.

        • CnC says:

          Who says it has to be stored.
          Other jurisdictions simply ask you to show it as a condition of entry. Then it can go back in your pocket.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Vaccine numbers soaring now that these idiots have finally realized they not getting any Red Lobster otherwise.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Maybe we could learn kerbside pickups from them too?

  14. Anonymous says:

    How long are PCR tests taking to be returned with results?

  15. Anonymous says:

    The people who know how to invent the medication that saves our lives must not know that quarantine is the only system that works. No quarantine in North America, but we know better right?

    • Anonymous says:

      Look. We operated on fear. Now we are one of the worst in the world for covid. It’s not coincidence, its ignorance on our part and we should be embarrassed.

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