April 2022 E-Publication Recap

Ovation’s weekly consumer e-newsletter, the Knowledgeable Traveler, retains readers up to date on journey trade information and tendencies.

Following is a recap of April’s prime 5 (most clicked by Ovation purchasers) e-newsletter tales.

1. US WILL NO LONGER ENFORCE MASK MANDATE ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

A court docket ruling (particulars here) on Monday, April 18, has struck down the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) masks mandate on US public transportation, efficient instantly. In response, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) will now not implement its Safety Directives and Emergency Modification requiring masks use on public transportation and transportation hubs. A US administration official mentioned that whereas the companies are assessing potential subsequent steps, the court docket’s determination means the CDC’s public transportation masking order is now not in impact. The administration may nonetheless choose to attraction the order or search an emergency delay within the order’s enforcement. Whereas masks are now not required at the moment, the CDC continues to suggest that folks put on masks in indoor public transportation settings. On Tuesday, the Justice Division mentioned it might attraction the ruling if the CDC determines the mandate continues to be needed to guard public well being.

Following the announcement, many US journey suppliers — together with all main US airways (Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, United), Amtrak, and Uber — have all introduced that masks are now not required domestically and non-obligatory consequently. For worldwide flights, masks necessities will rely on the arrival nation necessities. Ovation anticipates that additional journey suppliers are prone to observe go well with.

2. CIBTVISAS OFFERS EXPEDITED PASSPORT RENEWALS IN AS LITTLE AS ONE TO FIVE DAYS

Because the demand for journey continues to extend in 2022, vacationers ought to examine their passport standing to verify they’re nonetheless legitimate. Most international locations require passports to have at the least 6 months of validity after the return date of journey, in addition to out there pages for visa and nation entry/exit stamps. Processing time for renewals can take as much as 4-6 weeks and is topic to vary as COVID-19 has positioned unprecedented calls for on the US Passport Workplace. CIBTvisas provides numerous renewal choices and might fulfill US passport requests in as little as one to 5 days, topic to availability. As well as, CIBTvisas additionally gives a full line of passport providers together with first time passports, youngster’s passports, and passport identify change providers for US passport holders. For help with the passport course of or to schedule an appointment, vacationers can contact their Ovation journey consultants or name CIBTvisas at 877-304-8071.

3. CDC CONTINUES TO LOWER COVID-19 TRAVEL WARNINGS FOR CARIBBEAN ISLANDS

The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) has lowered its journey warning for a number of Caribbean islands this week, stories Journey + Leisure. The company reclassified Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines below “Degree 1,” its lowest journey warning, indicating that there’s a “low” stage of COVID-19 at these locations. Locations are categorised as a “Degree 1” if there are fewer than 50 new reported circumstances per 100,000 folks up to now 28 days. The CDC recommends vacationers guarantee they “are vaccinated and updated” with their COVID-19 vaccines earlier than touring to any vacation spot, and advises that, “Even if you’re updated together with your COVID-19 vaccines, you should still be in danger for getting and spreading COVID-19.” Along with the Caribbean Islands, the CDC categorised Bangladesh, Haiti, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines below “Degree 1.”

4. US EXTENDS VACCINE REQUIREMENT FOR NON-CITIZENS AT LAND BORDERS

The Biden administration has acknowledged that it’s extending the COVID-19 requirement that non-US residents crossing land or ferry terminals on the US-Mexico and US-Canada borders have to be absolutely vaccinated, stories Skift. The necessities have been first adopted in November 2021 as a part of reopening the US to land crossings by overseas vacationers after the borders had been closed since March 2020. The Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) mentioned the choice to increase the requirement got here after session with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), which says vaccines stay the best public well being measure to guard folks COVID-19. “The Biden-Harris administration is dedicated to defending public well being whereas facilitating lawful commerce and journey, which is important to our financial safety,” Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas mentioned.

5. CANADA FURTHER EASES TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

The Canadian federal authorities has additional eased journey restrictions for entry into the nation, stories Journey Pulse. As of April 25, absolutely vaccinated vacationers coming into Canada are now not required to offer a quarantine plan upon entry. Moreover, they’re now not required to put on masks in public areas, monitor and report in the event that they develop indicators or signs, quarantine if one other traveler in the identical journey group exhibits indicators or signs or exams optimistic, and keep an inventory of shut contacts and places visited. Moreover, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated kids aged 5 to 11 now not want a COVID check to enter Canada.

In the meantime, pre-entry exams are nonetheless required for partially vaccinated or unvaccinated vacationers ages 12 and older who’re at the moment eligible to journey to Canada. All vacationers are nonetheless required to make use of the ArriveCAN app to add journey and vaccination info inside 72 hours of their arrival to Canada and/or earlier than boarding a airplane or cruise ship destined for Canada. Additional, all vacationers, no matter vaccination standing, should proceed to put on a masks on planes and inside airports.