Yeego Connect

“The delta variant has upended everything. It is very important for people to recalibrate their risk,” said Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University. “Some people may decide that nothing has changed for them, and that’s reasonable. But for families with young children in particular who are not yet vaccinated, they should consider using much more caution than before.”

Children under age 18 will not be required to be vaccinated to travel to the United States once officials lift a ban on international visitors; however, they will have to show proof of a negative coronavirus test before boarding a flight, according to rules outlined Monday by the Biden administration.

With roughly two weeks to go before the United States lifts its travel ban on visitors from 33 countries, federal health officials offered more specifics for travelers and airlines before restrictions are lifted Nov. 8.

The European Union recommended Monday that its 27 nations reinstate restrictions on tourists from the U.S. because of rising coronavirus infections there.

The decision by the European Council to remove the U.S. from a safe list of countries for nonessential travel reverses advice that it gave in June, when the bloc recommended lifting restrictions on U.S. travelers before the summer tourism season. The guidance is nonbinding, however, and U.S. travelers should expect a mishmash of travel rules across the continent.

Federal officials are extending into January a requirement that people on airline flights and public transportation wear face masks, a rule intended to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The Transportation Security Administration’s current order was scheduled to expire Sept. 13. An agency spokesman said Tuesday that the mandate will be extended until Jan. 18.

If you want to travel internationally, you'll run into a range of travel restrictions and entry requirements. Here's what you need to know about the new rules. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says to get vaccinated before you go. Air travelers should be fully vaccinated regardless of the risk level in the country you're visiting, according to the health agency. There's still a lot of virus circulating.

A travel advisor can help you book a vacation, use your travel rewards and score you perks. "And if you're hoping to travel abroad, you'll have to contend with even more regulations, including testing requirements or proof of vaccination. "There's added work involved because all these countries have different restrictions, different requirements, and you have to get them right," Rees says. "I would say using a travel advisor gives you a big leg up on having to do that work yourself because a lot of this information is really hidden away. You have to track all this stuff down," he says.

It’s been more than a year since the pandemic roiled the nation, spurring social distancing, upending small businesses and stunting travel. As headlines about ravaged commercial airlines and empty hotels swirled, Congress worked to provide relief to the travel and hospitality industry. But while the government doled out assistance to airlines, restaurants and other highly visible sectors, one lesser-known, but no less critical, group went unaccounted for.

The Department of Homeland Security will delay the requirement for air travelers to have a Real ID-compliant form of identification, pushing it back 19 months, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Tuesday. The deadline was supposed to be Oct. 1, but it's now being postponed until May 3, 2023. 

Students on the country’s largest Native American reservation spoke to first lady Jill Biden on Friday about challenges they’ve faced during the coronavirus pandemic, including poor internet service and feelings of isolation.