COVID-19 applies to all travelers originating from the United States, Canada, or Mexico, regardless of their nationality, and is an entry requirement for most countries. It contains requirements related to the importing and exporting of certain categories of firearms, ammunition, and firearm parts and accessories, and is a necessary requirement for travelers intending to travel to countries with an arms embargo in place.
COVID-19, or the “Child Abuse and Violent Crime Prevention Act of 1994,” is a law that requires all US citizens and permanent residents to register for the Sex Offender and Violent Offender Registration Act, or SORNA, if they have contact with children. SORNA is a database that tracks sex offenders in the US, and anyone who is convicted of a violent crime against a child, even if it was not a sex crime, must be listed. The law has been controversial, and some argue that it is too broad, unnecessarily putting people on the sex offender registry, while others say it’s a security measure that should be taken seriously.
Since COVID-19 has spread in the United States and was placed in pandemic status by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2024, it is up to state governments to determine their own measures to contain the spread.Over the past 16 months, we have seen state and jurisdictional governments impose their own interstate travel restrictions and regulations to prevent a further increase in travelers within their borders, even as Americans tried to break the fever by making domestic trips and crossing state lines to visit family and friends during the holidays.
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In the months after the COVID-19 vaccine became available, infection rates in the country dropped dramatically. Most state governments feel that they have finally mastered the virus and have lifted restrictions on foreign visitors, but there are still some advocates.
The following is a list of states that have not yet abolished all regulations on domestic travel and have not yet fully opened their economies.
Current trend
Hawaii:
Throughout the pandemic, Hawaii Governor David Ige has maintained the strictest policy for travelers. He was extremely careful not to overburden the islands’ health care systems and limited resources and considered the health of Hawaiians his top priority.
-Since the age of 8. In July, the state will exempt fully vaccinated travelers from the U.S. (i.e. at least 14 years after the last vaccination) from quarantine.
Hawaii’s NAAT program currently requires mainland visitors to have a negative NAAT test, such as COVID-19, within 72 hours of arrival if they wish to avoid the standard 10-day quarantine. The test must be administered by one of the state’s trusted testing partners.
Travelers who are fully immunized and do not wish to be tested should download their CDC-issued immunization card from the State Safe Travel Program website and carry the card with them upon arrival in the country.
Unvaccinated travelers must also upload their test results to the government’s secure online travel form, which then sends them a QR code that they must show to airport security checkers upon arrival. Those who have not yet uploaded their results should have a hard copy ready when they arrive in Hawaii.
The rules for inter-island travel have been significantly eased and all non-forty year old travelers can now travel between the islands without additional requirements.
-The state maintains the requirement for everyone age five and older to wear a face mask in enclosed public places, although masks are no longer required on the street.
*For more information, visit Hawaii’s official website.
Rainbow on Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii. (Photo: zhuzhu/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Kansas:
Kansas continues to apply quarantine and COVID-19 testing measures to very specific and ever-changing groups of travelers based on their place of origin and recent travel history. Since the last update of the rules on 1. July, people entering the state of Kansas must be quarantined:
-Travel on or after 1. July in Brazil, Namibia, Oman or Saint Kitts and Nevis.
-Travel to Kuwait or Mongolia on or after the 17th. June.
-Travel on or after 3. June in Colombia or Suriname.
-Travel on or after the 20th. May in Costa Rica or French Guiana.
-Travel on or after the 6th. May in the Maldives or the Seychelles.
-Travel to Argentina on or after the 22nd. April.
-Travel at or after 8 a.m. April to Uruguay.
-trip of 17. June to June 1. July in St. John’s St. Maarten.
-Travel between 3. June and 1. July in Chile or Paraguay.
-Travel between 22. April and 1. July in Bahrain.
A performance at an out-of-state public event with 500 or more people, where the people did not maintain a social distance (half a meter) and did not wear masks.
-Cruise ship or river cruise on or after the 15th. March 2024.
Visitors who fall into these categories must remain in isolation for seven to 10 days, depending on whether they tested positive for COVID-19 by the sixth day of quarantine. Those who test negative on the sixth day shall be released from quarantine on day 8 rather than on day 11.
Fully vaccinated visitors do not need to be quarantined if the last dose of vaccine was administered at least two weeks earlier.
*For more information, please visit the official Kansas website.
A field of sunflowers in Kansas at sunset. (Photo via iStock/Getty Images Plus/tomofbluesprings)
Rhode Island:
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travelers entering the country from hotspot states (i.e., states with a COVID-19 positivity of more than five percent) for non-business purposes must either enter with proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arrival or be quarantined for 10 days. Travelers may also be tested after entering the state, but must remain in quarantine until a negative result is obtained.
-Rhode Island’s register of prohibited states, last updated July 6, now includes 12 U.S. states.
Persons traveling to Rhode Island who are fully vaccinated (i.e., at least 14 days have passed since the last dose) are exempt from quarantine or testing requirements.
-Travelers who have tested positive to a COVID-19 test within the past 90 days and completed the isolation period are also exempt from quarantine and testing requirements if they can demonstrate this.
-People arriving or departing from Rhode Island’s T.F. Greene International Airport can take a free rapid test, with results available within 15 minutes.
*For more information, visit Rhode Island’s official website.
Coast Guard Station Block Island, Rhode Island. (Photo via iStock/Getty Images Plus/kschulze)
Washington, D.C.
Travelers who are not fully vaccinated in-country must provide a negative COVID-19 test result no later than 72 hours prior to entering Washington.
-Travelers from Maryland and Virginia and persons residing in the county for less than 24 hours are exempt from the testing requirement.
-For visitors who are fully vaccinated and have recovered from a confirmed case of COVID-19 within 90 days prior to travel, testing requirements are also waived. Travellers must carry the necessary documentation.
*For more information, visit the district’s official website.
Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC (courtesy of sborisov/iStock/Getty Images PlusX)
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