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Last week, the Biden administration issued an executive order directing federal agencies to require a quarantine for international travelers upon arrival into the U.S. This is in addition to the required (as of January 26) negative Covid test within three days before arrival.
This news has sent some travelers and travel providers into a panic. My family is not canceling any travel plans yet, but I will have to closely monitor the unfolding details.
The Unknowns
Time Requirement: The specific quarantine time requirement for the quarantine has not yet been announced. But, based on current CDC recommendations, we can surmise that it will be 7-10 days.
Enforcement: This mandatory quarantine will be very difficult to monitor and enforce. Unless the government plans to set up special quarantine hotels or living quarters, travelers will be quarantining in their homes. People will be on the honor system to stay home.
Length of Order: We don’t know how long this executive order will be in place. Will it stick around all year? Or, will it be rescinded once cases reach a more “reasonable” level?
Effect on Family Travel
In my opinion, this executive order will affect families planning to travel to Mexico the most. Mexico is a short flight from many areas, and I know many families in my circle of friends who have either been there recently or who are planning to go this year.
If the parents can work from home during the required quarantine period, I imagine they will still travel as planned. However, some jobs just can’t be done from home. So, this order is a deal breaker for some people.
My family has a trip to Cancun planned for this summer. We were supposed to go last summer, but due to Covid we moved the trip to 2021. While my husband and I work from home and could probably deal with the quarantine, I’m not sure it will work for my kids. My oldest son has tennis team tryouts, and a quarantine would put a big damper on his practices.
When we rescheduled this trip to Cancun for 2021, I assumed my entire family would be vaccinated by then and we wouldn’t have any issues. Now, I’m not so sure.
I’m not going to rush and cancel our trip just yet. We are going to sit tight with our reservations and see how the details unfold.
What are your thoughts on the future quarantine requirement for international travelers? Does it affect your upcoming travel plans?
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Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
My hairdresser is heading to Cancun for a bachelorette party and her resort is providing free tests. She’s not planning on quarantining either. I’ll be interested to hear of her experience!
@Boonie I hope she makes it back into the U.S. with no hiccups!
I’ve been eyeing a Mexico trip as soon as the numbers came down. This new requirement makes it a no go since my husband does not work from home. He is fully vaccinated though so I wonder if eventually they’ll make an exception for people who are vaccinated.
If a person is vaccinated they SHOULD be exempt. We’ll see.
@Jennifer I’d like to think that vaccinated people could be exempt. However, I was reading more about the vaccine and it seems like there isn’t enough data to prove that it prevents non-symptomatic spread of Covid. Ugh.
This should have been enacted a long time ago, along with the recent mandate for masks during travel (the airlines have been begging for this for months).
I’m not leaving the country any time soon. I’m looking at spring of 2022 at the earliest. The pandemic is out of control.
@projectx Yep, traveling outside the country is looking less and less likely anytime soon.