CDC Removes Mandatory 14-Day Post-Travel Quarantine

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has changed its recommendations for quarantine. While the CDC previously recommended travelers quarantine for 14 days after visiting overseas destinations or arriving in areas with a high number of confirmed coronavirus cases, the agency’s official website now shows the mandatory quarantine portion of the order has been lifted. Travelers are now being advised to follow the same protocols people should be following on a daily basis regardless of travel habits.

With this new recommendation, understanding your local requirements are imperative. Several states — most famously New York — still require a period of quarantine after returning from a majority of U.S. states and has set up health checkpoints at major points of entry to the city and more recently has begun requiring anyone who is staying at a hotel or vacation rental property to fill out a health declaration form. New York City solicits contact information so that the city can more effectively stay in touch with a given person for contact tracing and quarantine enforcement.

Violators are subject to whatever penalties a given locality has decided to impose — in the case of New York City, you could be charged with a Class-B misdemeanor or face fines.

Despite the CDC announcement, not much has changed for travelers. AAA Travel advises that when you decide to travel anywhere, be sure you research the destination to which you’re traveling so that there are no surprises about restrictions on that destination, whether you’re traveling to or returning from the location. The CDC still believes that regardless of where tourists visit for the remainder of 2020, they should practice social distancing, wear a mask, wash their hands often and monitor for possible symptoms of coronavirus when they return home. The agency still recommends travelers who visit areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases, attend large gatherings, or sail on a cruise ship quarantine for 14 days and get tested for the virus.

As you prepare to travel, we understand you may have questions. AAA Travel Agents have undergone a unique certification that enables them to understand, monitor, and build travel plans that comply and conform to the pandemic and its impact on travel. Our SmartDepart Certified Agents can help you plan your upcoming trip and with our new AAA Triple Check program, agents will ensure your trip is taking advantage of all your AAA membership discounts and rewards., includes AAA diamond experiences, and should be minimally impacted by COVID-19. To speak with a AAA Travel Agent, please call 1-800-222-7448.