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Frequently Asked Questions: Guidance for Travelers to Enter the U.S.

Updated Date: April 21, 2022

Since January 22, 2022, DHS has required non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination upon request.  On April 21, 2022, DHS announced that it would extend these requirements. In determining whether and when to rescind this order, DHS anticipates that it will take account of whether the vaccination requirement for non-U.S. air travelers remains in place.

These requirements apply to non-U.S. individuals who are traveling for essential or non-essential reasons. They do not apply to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, or U.S. nationals.

Effective November 8, 2021, new air travel requirements applied to many noncitizens who are visiting the United States temporarily. These travelers are also required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. All air travelers, including U.S. persons, must test negative for COVID-19 prior to departure. Limited exceptions apply. See  CDC guidance  for more details regarding air travel requirements.

Below is more information about what to know before you go, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions about cross-border travel.

Entering the U.S. Through a Land Port of Entry or Ferry Terminal

Q. what are the requirements for travelers entering the united states through land poes.

A:  Before embarking on a trip to the United States, non-U.S. travelers should be prepared for the following:

• Possess proof of an approved COVID-19 vaccination as outlined on the  CDC  website.
• During border inspection, verbally attest to their COVID-19 vaccination status. 
• Bring a  Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative  compliant border crossing document, such as a valid passport (and visa if required), Trusted Traveler Program card, a Department of State-issued Border Crossing Card, Enhanced Driver’s License or Enhanced Tribal Card when entering the country. Travelers (including U.S. citizens) should be prepared to present the WHTI-compliant document and any other documents requested by the CBP officer.

 Q. What are the requirements to enter the United States for children under the age of 18 who can't be vaccinated?

A:  Children under 18 years of age are excepted from the vaccination requirement at land and ferry POEs.

Q: Which vaccines/combination of vaccines will be accepted?

A:  Per CDC guidelines, all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and authorized vaccines, as well as all vaccines that have an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization (WHO), will be accepted.

Accepted Vaccines:

• More details are available in CDC guidance  here .
• 2 weeks (14 days) after your dose of an accepted single-dose COVID-19 vaccine;
• 2 weeks (14 days) after your second dose of an accepted 2-dose series;
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine (not placebo) in a clinical trial;
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines administered at least 17 days apart.

Q. Is the United States requiring travelers to have a booster dose to be considered fully vaccinated for border entry purposes?

A:  No. The CDC guidance for “full vaccination” can be found here.

Q: Do U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents need proof of vaccination to return to the United States via land POEs and ferry terminals?

A:  No. Vaccination requirements do not apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs). Travelers that exhibit signs or symptoms of illness will be referred to CDC for additional medical evaluation.

Q: Is pre- or at-arrival COVID testing required to enter the United States via land POEs or ferry terminals?

A: No, there is no COVID testing requirement to enter the United States via land POE or ferry terminals. In this respect, the requirement for entering by a land POE or ferry terminal differs from arrival via air, where there is a requirement to have a negative test result before departure.

Processing Changes Announced on January 22, 2022 

Q: new changes were recently announced. what changed on january 22.

A:  Since January 22, 2022, non-citizens who are not U.S. nationals or Lawful Permanent Residents have been required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the United States at land ports of entry and ferry terminals, whether for essential or nonessential purposes. Previously, DHS required that non-U.S. persons be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the United States for nonessential purposes.  Effective January 22, all non-U.S. individuals, to include essential travelers, must be prepared to attest to vaccination status and present proof of vaccination to a CBP officer upon request. DHS announced an extension of this policy on April 21, 2022.

Q: Who is affected by the changes announced on January 22?

A: This requirement does not apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents. It applies to other noncitizens, such as a citizen of Mexico, Canada, or any other country seeking to enter the United States through a land port of entry or ferry terminal.

Q: Do U.S. citizens need proof of vaccination to return to the United States via land port of entry or ferry terminals?

A: Vaccination requirements do not apply to U.S. Citizens, U.S. nationals or U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents. Travelers that exhibit signs or symptoms of illness will be referred to CDC for additional medical evaluation. 

Q: What is essential travel?

A:  Under the prior policy, there was an exception from temporary travel restrictions for “essential travel.” Essential travel included travel to attend educational institutions, travel to work in the United States, travel for emergency response and public health purposes, and travel for lawful cross-border trade (e.g., commercial truckers). Under current policy, there is no exception for essential travel.

Q: Will there be any exemptions? 

A: While most non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States will need to be vaccinated, there is a narrow list of exemptions consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Order in the air travel context.

• Certain categories of individuals on diplomatic or official foreign government travel as specified in the CDC Order
• Children under 18 years of age;
• Certain participants in certain COVID-19 vaccine trials as specified in the CDC Order;   
• Individuals with medical contraindications to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine as specified in the CDC Order;
• Individuals issued a humanitarian or emergency exception by the Secretary of Homeland Security;
• Individuals with valid nonimmigrant visas (excluding B-1 [business] or B-2 [tourism] visas) who are citizens of a country with limited COVID-19 vaccine availability, as specified in the CDC Order
• Members of the U.S. Armed Forces or their spouses or children (under 18 years of age) as specified in the CDC Order; and
• Individuals whose entry would be in the U.S. national interest, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Q: What documentation will be required to show vaccination status?

A:  Non-U.S. individuals are required to be prepared to attest to vaccination status and present proof of vaccination to a CBP officer upon request regardless of the purpose of travel.

The current documentation requirement remains the same and is available on the CDC website . Documentation requirements for entry at land ports of entry and ferry terminals mirror those for entry by air.

Q: What happens if someone doesn’t have proof of vaccine status?

A: If non-U.S. individuals cannot present proof of vaccination upon request, they will not be admitted into the United States and will either be subject to removal or be allowed to withdraw their application for entry.

Q: Will incoming travelers be required to present COVID-19 test results?

A: There is no COVID-19 testing requirement for travelers at land border ports of entry, including ferry terminals.

Q: What does this mean for those who can't be vaccinated, either due to age or other health considerations? 

A: See CDC guidance for additional information on this topic. Note that the vaccine requirement does not apply to children under 18 years of age.

Q: Does this requirement apply to amateur and professional athletes?

A: Yes, unless they qualify for one of the narrow CDC exemptions.

Q: Are commercial truckers required to be vaccinated?

A: Yes, unless they qualify for one of the narrow CDC exemptions. These requirements also apply to bus drivers as well as rail and ferry operators.

Q. Do you expect border wait times to increase?

A:  As travelers navigate these new travel requirements, wait times may increase. Travelers should account for the possibility of longer than normal wait times and lines at U.S. land border crossings when planning their trip and are kindly encouraged to exercise patience.

To help reduce wait times and long lines, travelers can take advantage of innovative technology, such as facial biometrics and the CBP OneTM mobile application, which serves as a single portal for individuals to access CBP mobile applications and services.

Q: How is Customs and Border Protection staffing the ports of entry? 

A: CBP’s current staffing levels at ports of entry throughout the United States are commensurate with pre-pandemic levels. CBP has continued to hire and train new employees throughout the pandemic. CBP expects some travelers to be non-compliant with the proof of vaccination requirements, which may at times lead to an increase in border wait times. Although trade and travel facilitation remain a priority, we cannot compromise national security, which is our primary mission. CBP Office of Field Operations will continue to dedicate its finite resources to the processing of arriving traffic with emphasis on trade facilitation to ensure economic recovery.

Q: What happens if a vaccinated individual is traveling with an unvaccinated individual?  

A:  The unvaccinated individual (if 18 or over) would not be eligible for admission.

Q: If I am traveling for an essential reason but am not vaccinated can I still enter?

A:  No, if you are a non-U.S. individual. The policy announced on January 22, 2022 applies to both essential and non-essential travel by non-U.S. individual travelers. Since January 22, DHS has required that all inbound non-U.S. individuals crossing U.S. land or ferry POEs – whether for essential or non-essential reasons – be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination upon request.

Q: Are sea crew members on vessels required to have a COVID vaccine to disembark?

A:  Sea crew members traveling pursuant to a C-1 or D nonimmigrant visa are not excepted from COVID-19 vaccine requirements at the land border. This is a difference from the international air transportation context.

Entering the U.S. via Air Travel

Q: what are the covid vaccination requirements for air passengers to the united states  .

A:  According to CDC requirements [www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/noncitizens-US-air-travel.html | Link no longer valid], most noncitizens who are visiting the United States temporarily must be fully vaccinated prior to boarding a flight to the United States. These travelers are required to show proof of vaccination. A list of covered individuals is available on the CDC website.  

Q: What are the COVID testing requirements for air passengers to the United States?  

A:  Effective Sunday, June 12 at 12:01 a.m. ET, CDC will no longer require pre-departure COVID-19 testing for U.S.-bound air travelers.

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What is a 'COVID-19 passport'? Concept raises both hope and concern

With the growing rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine , the race is on to create ways to quickly recognize who has been immunized and who has not.

A “COVID passport" could allow people who can prove they’ve received the full dose — or have already survived the disease and may have immunity that way — to travel with fewer restrictions, or attend concerts and sporting events without getting tested.

The need seems to be growing fast as air travel hits records this spring: On March 21, the Transportation Security Administration screened more than 1.5 million travelers in a single day for the first time since the coronavirus crisis began.

How would a COVID passport work, and what are benefits and concerns?

One option, the Travel Pass app from the International Air Transport Association, is now being tested by more than a dozen airlines.

Fliers download it on their phone, snap a selfie and scan their passport to verify their identity. Those who are vaccinated can upload a copy of their vaccination certificate or, in destinations that require it, book a COVID-19 test at an approved lab. The results will automatically appear in the app.

What is a COVID-19 passport?

Americans who get COVID-19 vaccinations receive a vaccine record card from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it's not intended to be used as a "vaccine passport." The card is too easy to forge so it's not enough to prove that someone is fully vaccinated, especially for international travel, NBC News senior medical correspondent Dr. John Torres noted .

"For now, the CDC vaccine cards are the best we have. Going forward, when COVID-19 vaccinations are widely available, some type of vaccine certificate or passport will likely be needed," he explained.

Health 'Vaccine passports': Will they be available in the U.S. in time for summer?

That's why tech firms have been developing ways to create digital immunity certificates.

Airlines and other companies are interested in apps that could allow their customers to enter and store immunization information, test results and other medical documents — just like carriers store a person’s TSA Precheck or Global Entry data. People who’ve had the vaccine could then show a health pass generated by the app and navigate the world much more easily than those who are still at risk for catching or spreading COVID-19.

The apps could interface with state immunization registries to verify the information, according to Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security in Baltimore and a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America

“It would be something that's easier to facilitate than having to carry and produce the card every time,” he noted.

As Israel reopens parts of its economy, access to gyms, hotels and theaters is being limited to people with a "Green Pass" showing they've been vaccinated against COVID-19 or recovered from the illness.

On March 17, the European Commission — the executive branch of the European Union — proposed creating a Digital Green Certificate that would serve as proof that a person has been vaccinated, received a negative test result or recovered. Available free of charge in digital or paper format, the certificate would include a QR code to ensure authenticity, allowing "safe free movement inside the EU."

The U.S. is nowhere near that, Torres noted.

A CDC spokesperson told him the agency "has not yet issued guidance on management of vaccinated people during travel, and there are no established international standards for vaccines or documentation of vaccination."

What are the concerns?

The World Health Organization has been critical of "immunity passports" in the context of COVID-19. In March, Dr. Mike Ryan, director of WHO's emergencies program, said using vaccine certification as a requirement for travel "is not advised."

Doctors are still learning about the new coronavirus and how long a person might be immune either after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine or surviving an infection, said Dr. Katie Passaretti, an epidemiologist and medical director of infection prevention at Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“So it makes it a little bit tricky to say, ‘OK, you can move around freely indefinitely,’ until we get a little bit more information,” she noted.

“We're starting to see cases of reinfection in people who had been previously infected and there's at least theoretical suggestion that vaccines may not be lifelong protection. So there’s a number of things that have to be worked out before we would move forward with this idea.”

Health & Wellness Yes, you can still get COVID-19 after being vaccinated. Experts explain why

Beyond questions about immunity, there are also ethical and privacy concerns. Given the disparities within the health care system, some people may not have easy access to a vaccine, Passaretti noted. And not everyone may be comfortable sharing their health information through an app.

Some experts also worry that by implementing a “COVID-19 passport,” society is granting special privileges to a certain population, while limiting other people’s access to the world.

“That's the point, though,” Adalja countered. “People who choose not to get the vaccine have to bear those consequences.”

That wouldn’t mean they’d be banned from traveling or attending concerts, but would need to get a test or quarantine, he added. Activities would just be “much more onerous” if someone were not vaccinated, Adalja said.

Individual businesses could also be interested in a customer’s vaccination status.

Restaurants, bars and stores can refuse service to customers for pretty much any reason — thus the “no shirt, no shoes, no service” signs — but must give reasonable accommodation for people covered by certain anti-discrimination laws, said Dorit Reiss, a law professor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.

What apps are available?

Besides Travel Pass, several different platforms are being tested.

JetBlue, Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Airport Council International are taking part in CommonPass , which “lets individuals demonstrate their COVID status” and started rolling out last fall for passengers on flights from New York, Boston, London and Hong Kong.

AOKpass , developed by the International Chamber of Commerce, “allows users to present digitally authenticated and secure medical records to border authorities.”

IBM and Clear are developing apps that could eventually be used for admission to concerts and live sports.

Ticketmaster is “exploring the ability to enhance our existing digital ticket capabilities” that could include testing and vaccine information with third party health providers, but said there’s “absolutely no requirement" mandating vaccines or testing for future events.

When might COVID-19 passports be in place and for how long?

It may be a while before apps listing vaccination status are officially in use and required for travel.

Passaretti was doubtful whether the idea of a “COVID-19 passport” would even catch on in the U.S.

“It’s attractive in theory, but the devil is in the details,” she said. “I think there will be significant pushback.”

The apps might be in use for the next couple of years, or until COVID-19 ceases to be a public health emergency, Adalja predicted.

A. Pawlowski is a TODAY health reporter focusing on health news and features. Previously, she was a writer, producer and editor at CNN.

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• International travel, immigration and repatriation during COVID-19

Using the NHS COVID Pass to demonstrate COVID-19 status

How to use the NHS COVID Pass to demonstrate your coronavirus (COVID-19) status when travelling abroad.

Applies to England

• Guidance for Northern Ireland
• Guidance for Scotland
• Guidance for Wales

This page applies to England. See information about COVID certificates in Guernsey , Jersey and the Isle of Man .

NHS COVID Pass: what it is and how to get it

The NHS COVID Pass lets you share your coronavirus (COVID-19) status records in a secure way.

It allows you to show others the details of your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad to some countries or territories.

The domestic NHS COVID Pass is no longer available for venues or events to use as a condition of entry

You can get an NHS COVID Pass:

digitally through the NHS App or online via NHS.UK

as a letter sent to you in the post if travelling abroad, if you require an accessible format, language guide or have limited digital skills

You can find out the eligibility requirements on the NHS website.

Getting your digital NHS COVID Pass

Get your NHS COVID Pass letter

If you are in the UK armed forces, visit ‘My health care hub’ on the  Defence Gateway  (login required) to find out how to get your NHS COVID Pass.

The NHS App is not the same as the NHS COVID-19 app

The NHS App has been built to provide access to medical services such as seeing your medical records and booking GP appointments. It has been extended to support functionality to demonstrate COVID-19 vaccination status. The NHS COVID-19 App was developed to help manage the outbreaks of COVID-19 and supported features that told you if you had been near someone who tested positively for COVID-19 or you had been to a location that subsequently registered a number of positive cases.

How to use the NHS COVID Pass when travelling abroad

You can show the vaccination records in your NHS COVID Pass as proof of your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad.

Proof of recovery from prior COVID-19 infection if you have tested positive with an NHS PCR test in the last 180 days is also shown.

You will also need to follow any additional rules set by the country you are travelling to when abroad.

You should register with the  NHS App  before booking international travel.

Read more information on travelling abroad during COVID-19 .

You should check that your first name and your surname on your passport match how they are displayed by your NHS COVID Pass at least 3 weeks before you travel. If the names are different, contact your GP practice to have your details updated. Please note, name changes could result in temporary issues with matching your GP record to your hospital and prescription records.

If you have not been fully vaccinated, you should continue to follow the entry requirements of the country you are travelling to, such as proof of a negative COVID-19 test on arrival. You should carefully research the requirements of your destination country before travelling.

Further details on entry requirements can be found on the  GOV.UK foreign travel advice pages  and on the websites of your destination country.

If you think your vaccination record is incorrect, see what to do if your COVID-19 vaccination record is missing or wrong .

COVID-19 booster vaccinations

You should  get your COVID-19 booster  as soon as you are eligible.

If you receive an XBB booster vaccination in the autumn 2023 campaign , this will not show in the NHS COVID Pass.

You will see a 2D barcode for each vaccination record.

Your vaccinations will show in reverse order, with the most recent first. This is also the case if you download a PDF of your NHS COVID Pass for travel, or store it within the Apple Wallet or Google Pay Wallet.

In advance of planned travel, you should download an offline copy of your NHS COVID Pass, by saving or printing a PDF or storing a card in your Apple Wallet or Google Pay Wallet.

You will also see your detailed booster vaccination information in the ‘View COVID-19 Records’ section of the NHS COVID Pass within the NHS App and online service.

If you require non-digital proof of your booster vaccination for international travel, you can order an NHS COVID Pass letter via the NHS 119 service or via NHS.UK. Your letter will show a 2D barcode for each vaccination you have received, including booster vaccinations.

Some countries require travellers to demonstrate that they received their primary course of a COVID-19 approved vaccination or booster within a certain time period. Travellers should carefully check requirements before travelling.

Your NHS COVID Pass can be scanned to check and validate your COVID-19 status in over 70 countries and territories, including those in the EU.

Find out more about the EU Gateway

Residents in England who have received COVID-19 vaccinations overseas

If you live in England and have had one or more of your COVID-19 vaccinations administered overseas, you can have your vaccination details added to your NHS Record. You can then generate an NHS COVID Pass for international travel if you meet certain certification requirements.

You can use this service if you or your child are aged 5 years old or over and have an NHS number.

Eligible vaccines

You can use this service if you or your child have had one or more of the following vaccines outside of England:

• AstraZeneca AB (Vaxzevria)
• Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty)
• Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)
• Moderna (Spikevax)
• Institute of India (Covishield)
• Bharat Biotech (Covaxin)
• SinoVac (CoronaVac)
• Beijing Institute of Biological Products (Sinopharm BIBP )
• Novavax (Nuvaxovid)
• Serum Institute of India (Covovax)
• Gamaleya (Sputnik V)

If you received a Sinopharm vaccine, your evidence must show that it was manufactured by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products ( BIBP ). Other Sinopharm manufacturers are not accepted for this service.

Book an appointment to register your overseas vaccinations

To register your overseas vaccinations, you’ll need to book an appointment at a selected list of vaccination centres across England.

Book an appointment to register your overseas vaccination with the NHS

Staff are not able to register your overseas vaccinations unless you book in advance.

Details of your overseas vaccination will then be recorded in the National Immunisation Management System.

If you are registered with a GP in England and were vaccinated in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man, you do not need to book an appointment at a vaccination centre as your vaccination event details should flow automatically.

If you need help using this service, read the guidance available on NHS.UK in the first instance. If you still need help answering your query, contact the NHS COVID Pass service by telephoning:

119 from the UK

+44 151 905 0119 from overseas (you will be charged according to your carrier’s rates)

Booking for someone else

You can only book for someone else, such as your child or someone you care for, if you have their consent. You will need to enter their details when booking.

If you book for someone:

aged 18 years old or over – they must attend the appointment

under 18 years old – they do not have to attend the appointment if you go instead of them

Children under 16 years old cannot attend an appointment on their own. They must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible person aged 18 years old or over.

Getting your NHS COVID Pass

Eligible overseas vaccinations will display within your NHS COVID Pass in the same way as vaccines administered under the UK vaccination programme. However, you may see some fields left blank for overseas vaccines.

Your NHS COVID Pass for international travel will show the vaccinations you have received. It may take up to 5 days for vaccines to show in your NHS COVID Pass.

Although you can now have the Gamaleya (Sputnik V) vaccine added to your NHS record for continuation of care purposes, it will not show in your NHS COVID Pass as it is not recognised by the UK government.

Non-eligible overseas vaccinations will not generate an NHS COVID Pass.

Residents in England who have taken part in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials

On 8 October 2021 the  government announced that clinical trial participants of relevant COVID-19 trials would be eligible to receive additional approved vaccine doses to facilitate travel abroad .

Further information on the offer can be found by visiting the  National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) website .

Clinical trial participants who have received additional doses of approved vaccines will see those doses in their NHS COVID Pass for travel via the NHS App and online via  NHS.UK . These doses will show in your travel pass alongside your trial vaccinations, with the most recent vaccination received appearing first.

If you need a non-digital NHS COVID Pass for travel, the NHS COVID Pass letter also includes additional ‘top up’ approved vaccinations. You can ask for this via the NHS 119 service or via NHS.UK. The letter should take up to 7 days to arrive after you order it.

Clinical trial participants who have not received additional doses of approved vaccines

If you took part in a clinical trial within England which was ‘unblinded’ (you were informed of the vaccine used), then you should be able to obtain an NHS COVID Pass for travel if your trial site has uploaded vaccination information onto the NHS vaccine database. If your vaccine records are available and uploaded, then you will see these in your NHS COVID Pass for travel, with your most recent vaccine first.

Participants should contact their clinical trial site if they cannot yet access their travel pass. Before you travel abroad, check the entry rules for any country you want to go to.

If you took part in a clinical trial within England which was ‘blinded’ (you were not informed of the vaccine used), it is recommended that you consider other options for demonstrating your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad, such as additional testing.

Check the rules on entering England from abroad

NHS COVID Pass digital service

Children aged 5 and over are able to get a digital NHS COVID Pass for international travel.  

A digital NHS COVID Pass will: 

• provide a record of COVID-19 vaccinations received
• show evidence of prior infection for 180 days following a positive NHS PCR test

See ‘How to use the NHS COVID Pass when travelling abroad’ above.

A digital NHS COVID Pass is available through the:

NHS.UK website  for a parent or guardian to request for their child aged 5 to 15

NHS.UK website  for those aged 12 and over who want to request it for themselves (as a PDF you can download or print)

NHS App  for those aged 13 and over (age restrictions apply for use of the App)

To request an NHS COVID Pass for themselves, the child aged 12 and over will either need to have access to the email address or mobile phone number on their GP record or register for an  NHS login . They can do this themselves (or a parent or guardian can help register on their behalf). They will need to:

register using the child’s details (including the child’s email address)

verify the child’s identity using the child’s passport

Verifying identity can take a few days to complete (although it normally takes around 24 hours).

To request an NHS COVID Pass for your child aged 5 to 15, you will need to:

• give the child’s full name, date of birth and NHS number or postcode registered with their GP surgery
• have access to the mobile phone number or email address on the child’s GP record

NHS COVID Pass letter

Children who have had a full primary course of COVID-19 vaccination can get an NHS COVID Pass letter for international travel, with an internationally recognised 2D barcode. Children aged 5 to 11 can also get a recovery letter if they have evidence of a positive COVID-19 NHS PCR test within the last 180 days (not available in the Isle of Man).

This service is available to:

• children living in England under 16
• children living in Wales and the Isle of Man aged 5 to 11 (recovery letter not available in the Isle of Man)

Letters sent to children living in Wales will be in English and Welsh.

Children aged 12 and over living in Wales and the Isle of Man cannot get an NHS COVID Pass letter for travel abroad using this service – they should request letters from those nations’ certification services:

• in Wales, on the  Welsh Government website
• in the Isle of Man, by calling 0808 1624 119

This service is not available to those who have received an incomplete course of vaccination (for example, one dose of a 2-dose vaccine).

Requesting an NHS COVID Pass letter

Only a person with legal responsibility for the child (such as a parent or guardian) can request the letter on their behalf. You can request the letter for yourself if you are aged 12 or over.

You can request an NHS COVID Pass letter for travel abroad:

online at Get your NHS COVID Pass letter

by calling the 119 service (0808 1624 119 for residents of the Isle of Man)

on the Welsh Government website , for children living in Wales

You should wait 5 days after the full primary course of vaccination has been completed before requesting a letter. It can then take up to 7 working days for the letter to arrive.

The letter is sent to the address held on the child’s NHS record (the address held by their GP). It will show all the vaccinations they have received. Letters for children aged 5 to 11 will not include details of the administration centre where the vaccination took place, but are still fully valid.

Your GP cannot provide you with this letter.

You should carefully check the entry requirements of the country you are travelling to. Further details on entry requirements can be found on the GOV.UK foreign travel advice pages and on the websites of your destination country.

If you are unable to get vaccinated for medical reasons

In line with removing the domestic NHS COVID Pass for use in venues or events as a condition of entry, the medical exemptions service has closed.

A medical exemption is not valid for international travel. There are no arrangements in place with other countries to accept people from the UK who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and treat them the same as a fully vaccinated traveller.

Your medical exemption will not appear in the travel NHS COVID Pass. It is up to other countries to decide whether or not residents in England with a medical exemption can follow the same rules for travel as those who are fully vaccinated.

Protecting your data

Your COVID-19 status is either held securely within the NHS App or sent to you via a PDF or a letter. It can only be accessed via a validated  NHS login , or by verifying information held on your GP record. The NHS COVID Pass shows your COVID-19 vaccination or recovery status in the form of a 2D barcode and allows you to view the details of your COVID-19 vaccination or recovery record.

Appropriate technical, organisational, and administrative security measures are employed within our systems to protect any information we hold in our records from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. We have written procedures and policies which are regularly audited and reviewed.

Your NHS COVID Pass letter that you request via 119 or NHS.UK has been produced and printed with a range of embedded security features to help prevent fraud.

Read more in these privacy policies about how the NHS COVID Pass uses your information and about your data rights:

NHS App privacy policy

NHS COVID Pass privacy notice

NHS COVID Pass privacy notice for 12 to 15 year olds

NHS COVID Pass privacy notice for 5 to 11 year olds

NHS COVID Pass privacy notice (child friendly version )

What the barcodes and expiry dates mean

On your NHS COVID Pass for international travel you will see one 2D barcode for each vaccination dose.

You will see the barcodes either:

within the NHS COVID Pass in the NHS App

if you save or print a PDF of your NHS COVID Pass

if you save a copy to your Apple Wallet or Google Pay Wallet

on the travel NHS COVID Pass letter

The expiry date does not apply to your vaccination status. The expiry date refers only to the barcode and will update automatically in the digital version of the COVID Pass. The barcodes have expiry dates to protect your data privacy.

However, if you download and save or print a copy of your NHS COVID Pass, the expiry date will eventually show as expired and will not automatically refresh. You will need to log into the NHS COVID Pass service to generate a new copy. Proof of prior infection (recovery) is only valid for 180 days.

If you order a travel NHS COVID Pass letter via the NHS 119 service or online via NHS.UK, the barcodes in your letter will expire after 180 days.

Storing your NHS COVID Pass in Apple Wallet

If you get your NHS COVID Pass through the NHS App or Safari web browser using an Apple iPhone, you can store your NHS COVID Pass in Apple Wallet.

You can then show your NHS COVID Pass, even if your device is offline.

To add your NHS COVID Pass to the device’s wallet, tap the ‘Add to Apple Wallet’ button within the NHS COVID Pass service.

If you store an offline version of your NHS COVID Pass into your Apple Wallet it will only be valid until the expiry date shown on the NHS COVID Pass. The expiry date will not refresh automatically. This means you will need to store an updated NHS COVID Pass to your Apple Wallet before you next plan to use it if your original NHS COVID Pass has expired or is due to expire.

Storing your NHS COVID Pass in Google Wallet (officially called Google Pay)

If you get your NHS COVID Pass through the NHS App or by using the Google Chrome web browser on an Android phone, you will be able to store your NHS COVID Pass to your device.

You will see the ‘Google – save to phone’ button within the NHS App.

The NHS COVID Pass will be saved on your Android phone home screen and also accessible in Google Pay. It is available to  Play Protect certified mobile devices  running Android 5 or above.

You can use the NHS COVID Pass and store it using the Apple Wallet or Google Pay in the Welsh language.  Access your COVID Pass using the NHS website  and click the ‘Cymraeg’ button at the top of the screen to change the language from English to Welsh.

What the NHS COVID Pass letter tells you: translated versions and alternative formats

The NHS COVID Pass letter for international travel can be used to show others that you have had a full course of the COVID-19 vaccine (including a booster vaccination if you have had one) when travelling to some countries or territories.

If you request an NHS COVID Pass letter, the letter you receive will be in English.

You can request a leaflet about the content of the letter and what it tells you in other languages and alternative formats.

You will still need to show the original English letter (not the supporting leaflet) to demonstrate your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad.

The letters are now valid for 180 days from the date you order them. Letters issued before 12 May had a 30-day expiry. You should get them within 7 working days from the date of request.

If you do not have access to a smartphone, computer or tablet, you can call 119 from within the UK. Select the ‘NHS COVID Pass service’ and ask for an NHS COVID Pass letter to be posted to you.

Translated versions

Read  translated versions about what the NHS COVID Pass letter tells you .

Read an  easy-read guide about what the NHS COVID Pass letter tells you .

Braille and large print

You can get a  Braille or large print version of the NHS COVID Pass letter via the NHS website  or by calling 119 (select the ‘NHS COVID Pass service’).

Audio format

You can get an  audio version of the NHS COVID Pass letter via the NHS website  or by calling 119. Your letter and the audio file on a CD will be sent directly to you. It should arrive within 7 working days.

British Sign Language (BSL)

Watch a video about the NHS COVID Pass letter for travel abroad in BSL, not including personal details.

Watch a video about the NHS COVID Pass letter for travel abroad in BSL

If you cannot get an NHS COVID Pass letter

If your letter does not arrive after 7 working days it may be because your address is incorrect on your GP record, your vaccination details were not found, your vaccination details are incorrect or you do not meet the requirements for an NHS COVID Pass letter.

Find out more about who can get an NHS COVID Pass for travel .

If you meet the requirements, it will be quicker to get an NHS COVID Pass digitally through the NHS App or online via NHS.UK. People aged 5 and over can get an NHS COVID Pass via NHS.UK and people aged 13 and over can also get an NHS COVID Pass via the NHS App.

Alternatively, after the 7 working days, you can call 119 to report an issue. You may be referred to the Vaccine Data Resolution Service.

If you cannot get an NHS COVID Pass letter: translated versions and alternative formats

The letter you receive in the post will be in English. You can  check your vaccination record and follow instructions in various translations of the letter , not including your personal information, in different languages. These are to help people who read those languages.

You can also access the information in a range of alternative formats.

Read an  easy-read guide about what to do if you cannot get an NHS COVID Pass letter .

To get this letter in Braille or large print, please call 119 (select the ‘NHS COVID Pass service’) or  order the letter online via the NHS website .

Watch a video about this letter in BSL .

Updated information on the XBB vaccine under COVID-19 booster vaccinations.

Updated information on previous medical exemptions – users can no longer view a record of these within the NHS COVID Pass.

Updated guidance.

From 21 July 2022, children aged 5 to 11 in England and the Isle of Man can get a digital NHS COVID Pass for international travel.

Updated to reflect that children aged 5 to 11 in England and Wales can also get a NHS COVID Pass letter for travel if they have evidence of a positive COVID-19 NHS PCR test within the last 180 days.

Updated to reflect that the domestic NHS COVID Pass is no longer available and the medical exemptions service is no longer accepting new applications.

Updated to tell users that from 12 May 2022 the domestic NHS COVID Pass will no longer be available and new medical exemption applications will not be accepted from this point.

NHS COVID Pass letters for international travel are now available for children aged 5 to 11 living in England, Wales and Isle of Man.

Updated to reflect that the domestic NHS COVID Pass letter is no longer available. Updated to no longer encourage high-risk events and venues to check COVID status as a condition of entry. Merged with guidance on medical exemptions and guidance for organisations wanting to use the NHS COVID Pass.

Removed information about the passenger locator form, as people entering the UK no longer need to complete it.

Children aged 5 and above can now have details of eligible COVID-19 vaccinations they have received overseas added to their NHS Record.

Updated to provide information on how to contact the Vaccination Data Resolution Service.

Updated to reflect new government guidance on self isolation policy if you test positive for COVID-19.

From 18 February, residents in England who have received one or more of the following vaccines can have them added to their NHS Record to generate an NHS COVID Pass: Sinopharm Beijing/BIBP, SinoVac-CoronaVac, Covishield (Institute of India) or Covaxin (Bharat Biotech).

Added details about the information that will be needed to prove the identity of children aged 12 and over to get a digital NHS COVID Pass for international travel (available from 3 February 2022).

Updated to reflect it is no longer a legal requirement for venues or events to check the COVID-19 status of attendees as a condition of entry.

From 3 February, children aged 12 and over will be able to get a digital NHS COVID Pass for international travel.

Updated video about the NHS COVID Pass letter for travel abroad in British Sign Language (BSL).

Updated 'What to do if you get a positive test result' section to reflect change in self-isolation rules - people who test positive can stop self-isolating on day 6 if they have negative rapid lateral flow test results on days 5 and 6. Added a reference to the change in rules on 27 January, when it will no longer be mandatory for venues to check the COVID-19 status of attendees as a condition of entry.

Added video about the NHS COVID Pass letter for domestic use in British Sign Language (BSL).

Updated the section 'What to do if you receive a positive test result' to reflect that from 11 January, asymptomatic people in England with a positive lateral flow test are no longer advised to take a confirmatory PCR test to confirm they have COVID-19.

Updated the section 'What the NHS COVID Pass letter tells you: translated versions and alternative formats' to reflect that there are 2 NHS COVID Pass letters (one for travel, one for domestic use). Updated the section 'How to use the NHS COVID Pass when travelling abroad' to add information about the passenger locator form.

Updated the section on how to use the NHS COVID Pass when travelling abroad to reflect that proof of prior infection cannot be used as evidence of your COVID-19 status when entering England.

Guidance updated to reflect changes to the self-isolation advice for people who have received a positive COVID-19 test result.

Added call-out to reflect the NHS COVID Pass digital service will be offline from 10pm on Tuesday 14 December due to planned maintenance.

Updated to correct guidance in the 'Residents in England who have taken part in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials' section.

Added guidance on new mandatory certification rules on visiting certain venues and events coming into force on Wednesday 15 December if approved by Parliament.

Updated to reflect that fully vaccinated children aged 12 to 15 can request an NHS COVID Pass letter for international travel.

Updated to reflect that fully vaccinated children aged 12 to 15 can request an NHS COVID Pass letter for international travel from 9am on 13 December.

Updated to reflect that you can order an NHS COVID Pass letter to show proof of your booster vaccination for international travel.

Added the section 'Residents in England who have received COVID-19 vaccinations overseas'.

Updated information for residents in England who have taken part in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials.

Added information about how to store your NHS COVID Pass in Google Pay Wallet.

Updated to reflect the latest information on how to obtain your NHS COVID Pass in digital or letter format via the NHS.UK website.

From 19 November, you can see details of your COVID-19 booster vaccination in your NHS COVID Pass.

Added information about COVID-19 booster vaccinations: The NHS COVID Pass for travel does not currently include COVID-19 booster vaccinations. You do not need a COVID-19 booster vaccination to get an NHS COVID Pass for domestic use in England. Also updated to reflect the UK linking with the EU Gateway. Your NHS COVID Pass can be scanned to check and validate your COVID-19 vaccination status in venues in over 40 countries, including those in the EU.

Updated content to reflect changes to international travel rules on 4 October 2021 (the red, amber, green traffic light system was replaced by a single red list of countries and simplified travel measures for arrivals from the rest of the world).

Added information on using the NHS COVID Pass if you're unable to get vaccinated and/or tested for medical reasons.

From 23 September, you will be able to store your NHS COVID Pass for international travel in Apple Wallet, even if your device is offline.

Updated the 'Children' section: children under 18 do not have to demonstrate their COVID-19 status for entry to domestic events or venues in England. Children aged 16 or over can get an NHS COVID Pass for travel but should follow the entry requirements of the country they are travelling to.

Added a link to information about COVID certificates in the Isle of Man.

Updated to clarify that if you've been vaccinated in Scotland, to obtain your NHS COVID Pass you must be resident in England and registered with a GP in England.

Updated to confirm that you can get NHS COVID Pass if you have been fully vaccinated in England, Wales or Scotland. Updated information for those participating in vaccination clinical trials. Added the phone number for contacting the NHS COVID Pass service from overseas.

Added: 'If you're in the UK armed forces, visit 'My health care hub' on the Defence Gateway (login required) to find out how to get your NHS COVID Pass.'

Updated the BSL guide (video) for people who have received an NHS COVID Pass letter.

Updated to add a link to guidance for people fully vaccinated by the USA or EU.

Updated to reflect that proof of natural immunity shown by a positive PCR test can be used to demonstrate COVID-19 status when travelling abroad; the NHS COVID Pass can be stored used the Apple Wallet when using an iPhone or iPad; and those who received the Novavax vaccine as part of a formally approved vaccine trial, can now obtain the NHS COVID Pass.

Updated to remove information on the Events Research Programme trials, which ended on 25 July 2021.

Updated to reflect that from Monday 19 July, you may be asked to demonstrate your COVID-19 status as a condition of entry to a venue or event in England. Added the conditions of obtaining an NHS COVID Pass for use at domestic events in England.

Added links to guidance about COVID-19 vaccine certification in Guernsey, Jersey and Northern Ireland.

Updated to reflect that the NHS COVID Pass letter has new branding, and that a full course of approved vaccinations now includes the single-dose Janssen vaccine.

Updated to reflect that from 21 June 2021, the NHS service to demonstrate your COVID-19 vaccination status is now called the NHS COVID Pass. Also added that people taking part in event trials as part of the Events Research Programme will also be requested to use the NHS COVID Pass.

Added video in British Sign Language about what to do if you cannot get a post-vaccination letter.

Added information about what to do if you cannot get a post-vaccination status letter.

You can now request a COVID-19 vaccination status letter to be posted to you via the NHS.UK website.

Added link to easy-read version of the COVID-19 post-vaccination confirmation letter.

Updated information on how to access your COVID-19 vaccination status on the NHS website and NHS app.

Updated to add a link to a video about the post-vaccination confimation letter in BSL.

This page has been updated to reflect the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccination status service and includes information on obtaining information in foreign languages and alternative formats.

Updated to reflect that if you call 119 to request a letter about your vaccination status, we expect the letter to take up to 7 working days to reach you.

Updated to reflect that you must wait at least 5 working days after you’ve completed your course of the vaccine before asking for a letter confirming your vaccination status to be posted to you. The letter can take up to 5 working days to reach you. It will be sent automatically to the address registered with your GP.

Updated to reflect that if you're aged 13 to 15, you'll need to contact your GP surgery to request access to GP online services before you can use the NHS App.

Updated to reflect that you should register with the NHS App before booking your international travel.

First published.

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Help! What Will I Need to Show When Traveling, and Where?

Proof of vaccination has become increasingly vital to accessing local restaurants and distant countries alike. Our columnist takes a deeper dive into what that means for travelers.

By Sarah Firshein

Dear Tripped Up,

I am writing with a simple question: What is an acceptable proof of vaccination for U.S. travelers? I have the C.D.C. card, but that’s just a piece of paper that anybody can easily recreate, and its authenticity cannot be verified in the same way as a passport or driver’s license. What if I am given this argument at the airport check-in counter? George

Dear George,

The physical C.D.C. card is precisely what you’ll need to travel anywhere that requires proof of vaccination. The much-publicized reports of counterfeiting are daunting to read about, but those are in the ultra-slim minority. If your card is real, you’ll be fine at the airport.

Because it’s likely you’ll be asked to show other virus-related documents and attestations while traveling, it’s important to stay on top of countries’ individual requirements. On a recent trip to France, Mari Hawkins, the president of the travel agency Gemini Travel based in Mount Kisco, N.Y., was asked to show her C.D.C. card at the Delta Air Lines check-in desk at Kennedy International Airport and again upon landing. She was also given general Covid-19 attestation forms to fill out on the inbound and outbound flights, though the one she filled out while heading to France, she said, was never collected.

Although the United States does not have a universal, countrywide digital health pass that stands in for the physical card, there are ongoing efforts by states and private businesses to ease the vaccination-verification process through digital means. United Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways and others have all rolled out varying technologies that allow passengers to upload proof of vaccination before a flight. In July, Clear, the biometrics company, began a digital initiative that allows Hawaii-bound tourists to upload their vaccination records directly into the Clear app, facilitating entry into the state and allowing them to bypass the 10-day quarantine. Two apps in New York — the statewide Excelsior Pass and NYC Covid Safe — prove vaccination status and ease entry into restaurants, gyms and other indoor settings.

We’re both fully vaccinated and hoping to go to Florence later this month. But Italy has just announced that a nationwide “green pass” is now required to enter museums, restaurants and other indoor venues. For Europeans with the E.U. digital Covid certificate , this should be no sweat. But for Americans, will C.D.C. cards suffice? If not, how do we get a substitute? If we can’t go into museums or restaurants, there is little point in going. Ann

In recent weeks, Italy and France have announced separate, yet similar, green pass requirements for indoor venues. The initiatives have sparked major protests across France but have been generally accepted in Italy.

They have also left those who work on the ground in travel and tourism perplexed, if not outright concerned about exactly the issue you raised: If vaccinated Americans can fly to these countries but can’t actually go inside venues once they’re there, will they bother going at all?

The situation in Italy is straightforward: According to recent ordinances issued by the Italian Ministry of Health, Americans can simply show their C.D.C. cards — no “conversion” to a “green pass” needed (nor possible). Unvaccinated Americans (or those without their C.D.C. cards) will have to present a virus test within 48 hours of entering an indoor venue.

Fundamentally, said Candice Criscione, who shares tips for planning family vacations in Italy on her blog the Tuscan Mom , “this is Italy’s message to Americans and other tourists: Get vaccinated before coming to visit. It’s too complicated and expensive to have to get an official Covid test every time you want to enter a museum or eat at a restaurant, and your vacation options will be extremely limited.”

Things have been a bit more complicated for tourists in France, which since July 21 has required a health pass to access public venues, including museums, with more than 50 people. In late July, one Times reader reported that he was turned away from a museum: “They will not accept my paper record,” he wrote.

Others have had no issues entering museums with C.D.C. cards. In an email, a spokeswoman for the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie, two major museums in Paris, said American vaccination cards would be accepted at both institutions.

“I get that it’s confusing,” said Meg Zimbeck, the founder of Paris by Mouth, which ran 1,000 food tours a year before the pandemic, and who has been monitoring the issue closely. “But what I’m emphasizing to everyone is that your C.D.C. card is probably fine. I’ve heard about one person in a hundred being turned away. And that’s because of an individual employee as gatekeeper.”

There have also been diverse anecdotes about French pharmacies’ ability to convert C.D.C. cards into scannable French QR codes. That process took Mallory Shaw, a luxury travel adviser and the owner of the Virtuoso-affiliated Trouvaille Yacht & Travel, around 10 minutes when she popped into a pharmacy between the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries Gardens in Paris.

Jodi Kennedy Gaffey, whose company the Epicurean Concierge organizes bespoke tours and experiences throughout France, had no issues using her C.D.C. card to gain entry into museums in Paris But she had zero luck when she tried to convert it into a French health pass at two different pharmacies in Provence in early August.

Unlike in the United States, there are no chain pharmacies in France. All are independently owned, and they have not been uniformly converting C.D.C. cards into French health passes. This has left tourists in trial-and-error mode — to varying success, as revealed by the firsthand anecdotes that Ms. Zimbeck has been collecting and publishing on the Paris By Mouth website .

“We’ve been seeing some ad hoc solutions where some pharmacies in touristy neighborhoods will say, ‘Sure, I’ll do it for 20 bucks,’” she said. “But it’s not an official thing. That’s why I’ve been telling people, ‘Look, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t spend an hour and a half trying to convert anything.’”

Last week, France started requiring the health pass for smaller indoor venues, including restaurants. And although the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has also instituted an official application process by which non-E.U. citizens who were vaccinated abroad can obtain the French pass (including a QR code linking to their vaccination status), for now the system will handle applications for foreigners already in France and will be made available to future arrivals on a rolling basis. There’s also little insight into how long processing time will take.

That’s why even visitors who apply for the health pass through official channels should also carry their C.D.C. cards.

“The bottom line is that France depends heavily on tourism and, as we all know, last year was horrific,” said Ms. Gaffey. “I have to think that restaurants and cafes will work with customers. It’s not in their best interest to turn people away who appear to be vaccinated.”

Be sure to have the physical card — not a photocopy or digital version — and a passport.

“Word is out that the C.D.C. paper card is OK, but it’s also about meeting the restaurant owner halfway: realizing they’re taking an order at the table next door, they’re trying to deliver a plate of food, they’re trying to take a check,” said Ms. Zimbeck. “So don’t make it hard on them by bringing a blurry Xerox.”

Sarah Firshein is a New York-based writer. If you need advice about a best-laid travel plan that went awry, send an email to [email protected] .

52 Places to Love in 2021

We asked readers to tell us about the spots that have delighted, inspired and comforted them in a dark year. Here, 52 of the more than 2,000 suggestions we received, to remind us that the world still awaits.

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

National COVID- ⁠ 19 Preparedness   Plan

Today, the U.S. government is releasing the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan – which will enable America to move forward safely, sustaining and building on the progress we’ve made over the past 13 months. This plan lays out the roadmap to help us fight COVID-19 in the future as we begin to get back to our more normal routines. We look to a future when Americans no longer fear lockdowns, shutdowns, and our kids not going to school. It’s a future when the country relies on the powerful layers of protection we have built and invests in the next generation of tools to stay ahead of this virus.

The President’s National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan focuses on four key goals:

Protect Against and Treat Covid-19

Prepare for New Variants

Prevent Economic and Educational Shutdowns

Continue to Vaccinate the World

Protect Against and Treat COVID-19

The United States has experienced five waves of the pandemic since 2020, including three in the past year that were driven by new variants. America experienced a wave of COVID-19 cases driven by the Alpha variant in early Spring 2021 – a time when the U.S. vaccination program was administering a record number of vaccines every day. The Delta variant, which was more than twice as contagious as the original coronavirus strain, then swept across the country starting in Summer 2021, beginning in the South and spreading to the Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions. 

Omicron represented another step in the virus’s evolution, and has been one of the most contagious viruses in history, causing record numbers of infections around the world over the past three months. However, because of both lower severity of the Omicron variant and a stronger level of population immunity from vaccinations, Omicron has caused relatively fewer cases of severe COVID-19. Compared to prior waves of COVID-19 in the United States, the Omicron wave has had a lower proportion of cases resulting in hospitalization or death. 

America has weathered the current Omicron wave with minimal disruption – schools and businesses largely remained open. As the country emerges from the Omicron wave, our path forward relies on maintaining and continually enhancing the numerous tools we now have to protect ourselves and our loved ones – from vaccines, to tests, to treatments, to masks, and more. 

In January 2021, Americans had very few tools to protect against COVID-19, and the tools we did have were in limited supply. Over the last year, together, with states, localities, and public and private partners, the Administration has mobilized an unprecedented, whole-of-society effort to give Americans the tools they need to protect themselves. 

The Administration has put vaccines at the center of our COVID-19 response because vaccines are the best tool we have to prevent hospitalization and death. We stood up the largest free vaccination program in our country’s history – mobilizing 90,000 vaccination locations, standing up dozens of federally-run mass vaccination sites with the ability to administer more than a combined 125,000 shots a day, and deploying over 9,000 federal personnel to support vaccinations nationwide – including over 5,000 active duty troops. 

As a result, today, the vast majority of Americans have the protection of a vaccine – with 215 million Americans fully vaccinated, and an estimated two-thirds of eligible adults having received their booster shot. Vaccinated and boosted people are 41 times less like to die of COVID-19 than unvaccinated individuals. And America’s unprecedented vaccination campaign has saved lives: a December 2021 estimate suggested that vaccines saved over 1 million American lives and successfully prevented over 10 million hospitalizations. 

The Administration has also expedited the development, manufacturing, and procurement of COVID-19 treatments, building a diverse medicine cabinet filled with more treatments now than at any point in the pandemic.  Today about 4 million treatment courses are available to Americans, with 1 million additional courses of the Pfizer antiviral available in March, and another 2.5 million additional courses of the Pfizer antiviral available in April. In total, we have secured 20 million courses of Pfizer’s life-saving antiviral pills, which have been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death by 89%. 

The nation’s testing supply has increased dramatically. We now have free testing sites at 21,500 locations around the country. In January 2021, there were no rapid, at-home tests on the market available to Americans; during January 2022, there were more than 480 million at-home tests available to Americans on top of all other testing options. And we stood up COVIDtests.gov so Americans could order tests that shipped directly to their homes — for free. Private insurance and Medicaid now cover rapid at-home tests for free, and Medicare will fully cover these at-home tests starting this spring. 

And the U.S. government has successfully put equity at the heart of a nationwide public health response. Hispanic, Black, and Asian adults are now vaccinated at the same rates as White adults. This is the result of an all-of-society effort that got America to where it is today: employers who offered paid time off for their employees; child care providers who offered drop-in services for caregivers to get vaccinated; public transit authorities and ride-sharing companies that provided free rides to vaccination sites; churches, civic organizations, barbershops, and beauty salons, who opened their doors to be trusted spaces for vaccinations; and the families who made vaccination a family affair.  

The path forward in the fight against COVID-19 is clear: we must maintain and continually enhance the tools we have to protect against and treat COVID-19. The Administration looks forward to working with Congress to ensure that we have the resources to do just that. 

Because we have these tools, we can begin to get back to our more normal routines safely and the use of public health mitigation measures like masking can be less frequent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its framework for recommendations on preventive measures like masking, so masks are recommended when and where they matter the most and Americans will be wearing masks less often. 

Make no mistake, as America moves forward we will leave no one behind. Equity will remain at the very center of our path forward in the fight against COVID-19. And we will be there to support Americans with the long-term impacts of COVID-19, including people experiencing Long COVID or mental and behavioral health challenges; as well as families suffering from the tragedy of losing someone they loved.

The Administration will work with Congress to secure the necessary funding to:

Launch an effort to vaccinate america’s youngest children as soon as the u.s. food and drug administration (fda) authorizes and the cdc recommends a vaccine for that age   group..

If the FDA authorizes and CDC recommends a vaccine for children . If the FDA authorizes and the CDC recommends a vaccine for children under five years of age, the United States is prepared to immediately distribute vaccines through a network of thousands of pediatricians’ offices, children’s hospitals, health centers, and local sites, so that vaccines are made available conveniently to families across the country.

Ensure that Americans – of all ages – can get the protection of an effective vaccine.

To ensure that people stay protected, the U.S. government will The Administration will continue to ensure that all Americans have ready access to free and safe vaccines, because vaccines are the most effective defense against COVID-19. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will also continue to monitor the efficacy and durability of currently authorized vaccines against current and future variants and make recommendations to optimize protection.

Increase American manufacturing capacity to reliably produce an additional 1 billion vaccine doses per year – three times the U.S. population – and accelerate research and development of a single COVID vaccine that protects against SARS-CoV-2 and all its variants, as well as previous SARS-origin   viruses.

To ensure that people stay protected, the U.S. government will continue to use advance purchasing agreements when appropriate and work closely with vaccine manufacturers to produce shots quickly and safely. Fully supporting this effort to scale up domestic vaccine manufacturing will require additional resources from Congress. Additionally, we will maintain a network of tens of thousands of sites to deliver shots to the American people at any time this effort is needed.

Continue vaccination outreach and education efforts and combat misinformation and disinformation.

HHS will continue its work to equip Americans with the tools to identify misinformation and to invest in longer-term efforts to build resilience against health misinformation.

Ensure there are enough treatments for every American who needs them.

The U.S. government will procure additional treatments; continue to use an expedited, streamlined process to review treatments for authorization by the FDA; and accelerate research and development into next generation treatments. These efforts will require additional funding and authorities from Congress.

Launch a nationwide Test to Treat Initiative so Americans can rapidly access treatment, including by visiting a “one-stop” location to get a free test and free treatment   pills.

The Administration will put forth new educational efforts for the public and providers so that Americans can rapidly access treatments. The Administration will establish “One-Stop Test to Treat” locations at pharmacy-based clinics, community health centers, Long-Term Care Facilities, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities across the country. “One-stop” sites will be operational by March. 

Update the framework for recommendations on preventive measures like masking to reflect the current state of the disease.

Masks have been a critical tool to protect ourselves, but they have a time and a place. With a broad range of other protective tools in place, the CDC has announced an updated framework for guidance on preventive measures like masking – moving away from simply basing broad recommendations on case counts and test positivity, and instead encouraging prevention measures like masking when they are most needed to minimize severe disease and to keep our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed in times when COVID-19 is surging. By monitoring community risk, masks can be worn when the risk of severe disease in the community is high and taken off when the risk is low. Overall, it means Americans will be wearing masks less because so many people are protected from severe disease.

Launch a one-stop-shop website that allows Americans to easily find public health guidance based on the COVID- ⁠ 19 risk in their local area and access tools to protect themselves.

The Administration will launch a website where Americans can find the level of COVID-19 risk in their community and specific guidance based on that risk. The site will also point people to the tools we now have to fight COVID-19, such as locating a vaccination site in their neighborhood or finding a free high-quality mask at a local grocery store or pharmacy.

Sustain and increase American manufacturing of COVID- ⁠ 19 tests, so we can continue to have a robust supply of tests.

The Administration will continue to use the expedited authorization process to help test manufacturers get tests to market quickly; maintain America’s network of thousands of free testing sites; use the Defense Production Act (DPA) and other authorities, where warranted, to increase manufacturing capacity; and invest in innovation to make tests less expensive. These continued investments in testing will require additional funding from Congress.

Prioritize protections for the immunocompromised and take new actions to protect people with disabilities and older adults.

The Administration will continue to provide strong support for the immunocompromised, including providing prioritized access to treatments and preventive interventions – pending additional funding from Congress – as well as ensuring access to boosters. The Administration will also increase equitable access to testing and COVID-19 mitigation resources for people with disabilities and older adults, and engage industry to accelerate research and development of accessible self-tests. Securing sufficient preventive treatments for people who are immunocompromised will require additional funding from Congress.

Help Americans with the long-term impacts of COVID- ⁠ 19.

In recognition of the wide-reaching long-term impacts of COVID-19 on our society, the President will direct the U.S. government to accelerate efforts to detect, prevent, and treat Long COVID; coordinate efforts to provide support to families who have experienced the COVID-related loss of a loved one; and attend to the mental health and well-being of our communities. The Administration will also propose to make new investments in health care workers to support their mental health and well-being.

Ensure equitable access to COVID- ⁠ 19 health care and public health resources.

  The Administration will continue to prioritize providing equitable access to COVID-19 health care and public health resources – including personal protective equipment (PPE), tests, treatments, masks, and vaccines; and address COVID-related health inequities among communities defined by race, ethnicity, geography, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other factors. The U.S. government will support dedicated resources for local community-based organizations, community health centers, and rural health clinics.

As we work to keep ourselves protected against COVID-19, America must remain prepared for any new variant that may come our way. To do so, the Administration has developed a comprehensive plan for how we monitor this virus to stay ahead of it, adapt our tools swiftly to combat a new variant, and deploy emergency resources to help communities.

Before January 2021, the federal government had insufficient data and sequencing capabilities and was ill-equipped to respond to new variants. Electronic case reporting was in place for only a handful of states in 2020 and the country could sequence only 3,000 viral isolates per week. America had no plan for responding to a new variant or standing up comprehensive efforts to respond to a surge in COVID-19 cases.   

The Administration has enhanced our collection, production, and analysis of data, and expanded electronic case reporting to all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and thousands of health care facilities. The CDC now tracks a range of key COVID-19 response metrics including cases, tests, vaccinations, and hospital admissions in real-time. Additionally, the CDC launched – and is continually enhancing – the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) to track the presence of SARS-COV-2 in wastewater samples collected across the country. And America has established a world-class sequencing operation, sequencing up to 90,000 isolates a week. The CDC’s sequencing efforts can now reliably detect variants that account for as little as 0.1% of all COVID-19 cases circulating in the United States. And when new variants are identified, the federal government has a network of researchers – federal, academic, and commercial – who are able to study the sequence and assess mutations rapidly, allowing the government to respond quickly to concerning variants.  

The Administration has also successfully built a robust emergency response infrastructure. Our surge response – led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and HHS – developed capabilities to stand up over 100 federal mass vaccination sites and federal surge testing sites; distribute millions of critical supplies; and deploy thousands of federal clinical and non-clinical personnel to support states, Tribes, and territories. Since July 2021, the federal government has deployed over 4,000 military and non-military personnel including doctors, nurses, and paramedics; sent over 3,400 ventilators, ambulances, and other critical supplies; and shipped over 115 million pieces of PPE. And over the last year, FEMA has invested $300 million in state hospital preparedness to expand hospital capacity in 38 states. 

Moving forward, the Administration will maintain our proven data, sequencing, variant response, and surge response capabilities. The CDC will continue to improve COVID-19 data collection, reporting, and analysis so America is better informed and ready to respond to new variants. And if new variants emerge, the federal government will leverage established playbooks to assess a new variant’s impact on our vaccines, treatments, and tests, and rapidly deploy the tools, personnel, and resources Americans need. America will also retain a significant stockpile of tools to combat COVID-19 that remain ready for deployment.

Improve our data collection, sequencing, and wastewater surveillance capabilities to immediately identify and detect new and emerging variants; and strengthen pandemic   preparedness.

The U.S. government will continue improvements to COVID-19 The U.S. government will continue improvements to COVID-19 disease and vaccination data collection, wastewater surveillance, and virus sequencing capacity so we are better prepared to respond rapidly to emerging threats. This includes strengthening data infrastructure and interoperability so that more jurisdictions can link case surveillance and hospital data to vaccine data. The Administration is also leveraging COVID-19 response capabilities into stronger pandemic preparedness.

Leverage a COVID- ⁠ 19 Variant Playbook to determine the impact of a new variant on our vaccines, treatments, and tests, and shore up and update our tools, if   needed.

The Administration has developed a variant playbook to rapidly assess the disease severity and transmissibility of a new variant, and to expedite the rapid laboratory evaluation of the effectiveness of vaccines, tests, and treatments against any variant. The U.S. The Administration has developed a variant playbook to assess the disease severity and transmissibility of a new variant immediately, and to expedite the rapid laboratory evaluation of the effectiveness of vaccines, tests, and treatments against any variant. The U.S. government has also developed a series of plans in coordination with manufacturers for the accelerated development, approval, manufacturing, and delivery of updated vaccines, tests, and treatments. These expedited plans and processes suggest that updated vaccines can be deployed in 100 days instead of many months or years.  

Utilize new FDA processes to expedite regulatory review of variant-specific versions of vaccines and treatments, so America can get them in place, if needed.

FDA has developed new processes to accelerate the authorization and approval of a vaccine or treatment that targets any new variant while maintaining strict and longstanding practices to ensure the safety and efficacy of the products.

Support new FDA processes to expedite regulatory review of variant-specific versions of vaccines and treatments, so Americans can get them quickly if   needed.

FDA has developed new approaches to accelerate the authorization of a vaccine or treatment that targets any new variant while maintaining strict and longstanding practices to ensure the safety and efficacy of the products.

Leverage a proven COVID- ⁠ 19 Surge Response   Playbook.

The Administration has developed a comprehensive emergency response COVID-19 surge playbook to stand up mass vaccination and testing sites, expedite deployments of surge medical and emergency personnel, expand hospitals and emergency facilities, and provide emergency supplies.

Add at-home tests, antiviral pills, and masks for the general population to America’s stockpile for the first   time.

America will stockpile new categories of supplies including at-home tests, antiviral pills, and masks for the general population for the first time. The Administration will also maintain a fully stocked Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) with an inventory of masks, ventilators, gloves, gowns, and hospital equipment. The U.S. government will be ready to deploy supplies to the American people to ensure adequate supply in times of surges, COVID-19 outbreaks, or new variants.

The U.S. government has established a permanent logistics and operational hub at HHS to ensure accelerated development, production, and delivery of COVID- ⁠ 19 vaccines and   treatments.

The Administration has transitioned an emergency logistics and operational organization into a permanent agency structure at HHS, which has allowed the Administration to build on its progress, retain expertise and skills, and continue providing the necessary tools to the American people during this pandemic and for any future disease outbreaks.

Our path forward relies on giving schools and businesses the tools they need to prevent economic and educational shutdowns, so that our students can remain safe in school, our workers can be safe at work, and our economy can continue to grow. 

At the beginning of last year, America was experiencing widespread school and business shutdowns: only 46% of K-12 schools were open for in-person learning, and millions of businesses had closed and tens of millions of Americans had lost their jobs in 2020. Throughout the last year, the Administration worked to provide schools, child care providers, and businesses with the necessary tools and resources to safely open, while keeping our children, students, and workers safe. 

The Administration provided a historic investment of $130 billion from the American Rescue Plan to reopen schools by improving school ventilation, accessing tests, and hiring more teachers, nurses, and staff. To protect workers and keep our businesses open, the Administration launched the largest vaccination campaign in history – working hand-in-hand with the business community; and requiring vaccinations where we could, including for federal workers.

Today, about 99% of K-12 schools are open for in-person learning. And since President Biden took office, there has been historic job growth. The U.S. economy created 6.6 million jobs in 2021 – the strongest job growth of any year on record – and grew 5.7% in 2021, the fastest pace of economic growth in nearly four decades. The U.S. was also the first major economy to exceed its pre-pandemic economic output. 

The path forward in the fight against COVID-19 is clear: schools, workers, and workplaces have resources and guidance to prevent shutdowns.

Give schools and businesses guidance, tests, and supplies to stay open, including tools to improve ventilation and air   filtration.

The U.S. government will also provide a Clean Air in Buildings Checklist that all buildings can use to improve indoor ventilation and air filtration and will encourage uptake of ventilation improvements. The Administration will also provide technical assistance that encourages schools, public buildings, and state, local, and Tribal governments to make ventilation improvements and upgrades using American Rescue Plan funds.

Work with Congress to provide paid sick leave to workers who need to miss work due to a case of COVID- ⁠ 19 or to care for a loved one who has COVID- ⁠ 19.

The Administration will work with Congress to reinstate tax credits to help small- and mid-size businesses provide paid sick and family leave to deal with COVID-related absences.

Update guidance for employers to ensure safer   workplaces.

The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will update workplace guidance to better equip employers with the tools they need to ensure safe workplaces, including guidance on how employers can continue to support increased vaccination and boosting of their employees; support workers such as people who are immunocompromised who choose to wear high-quality masks; limit workplace-based infections; and enhance ventilation.

Engage early care and education providers to help them remain safely open and help parents return to work with peace of   mind.

Early care and education providers, including child care centers, family child care providers, pre-K and more, have been essential in our fight against COVID-19. The Administration invested $40 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to states, territories, and Tribes to help child care providers and Head Start grantees keep their doors open and provide safe care that is crucial for parents getting back to work. Building on this funding, the Administration will continue to engage the community of early care and education providers to ensure they have tools and support to stay safely open and to continue supporting our families.

With the vast majority of federal workers at their workplaces, substantially expand levels of services at public-facing federal offices (like local Social Security   offices).

COVID-19 no longer needs to dictate how we work. Federal agencies will lead by example, increasing the hours public-facing federal offices are open for in-person appointments and in-person interactions in the month of April.

Continue to Lead the Effort to Vaccinate the World and Save Lives

Fighting this virus abroad is key to America’s effort to protect people and stay ahead of new variants. To do so, we will continue to lead in providing vaccines to the world, helping to get those vaccines into arms, and deploying emergency supplies to countries experiencing surges in COVID-19. We will also continue to advance sustainable capacity and financing for health security to fight COVID-19 variants.

The President committed that the United States would be the world’s arsenal for vaccines – both because it’s the right thing to do and in our collective interest. And America is delivering on that commitment. The United States stands alone in procuring 1 billion vaccines for the sole purpose of donating them. And overall, the Administration has committed to donating 1.2 billion doses to other countries – for free, with zero strings attached, which represents the largest commitment of any single country or group of countries in the world. As of today, the U.S. government has delivered over 475 million free doses to 112 countries around the world – four times the number of free doses shared with the world than any other country. 

In addition, the U.S. government has delivered life-saving resources like oxygen, treatments, PPE, and other essential supplies worth more than $1 billion to countries experiencing outbreaks. U.S. government public health experts from the CDC, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of State (State), HHS and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other entities are working side-by-side with on-the-ground providers, providing technical assistance in vaccine program implementation, care provision, and outbreak investigation. We have increased the world’s capacity to manufacture vaccines and have fostered an enabling environment for innovation, including by spurring African manufacturing.

Over the last year, the Biden Administration pioneered the model to donate and deliver surplus vaccines to the rest of the world. America was the first country to announce a purchase of doses solely for donation to other countries; the first country to give up our place in line for vaccines – allowing the African Union to immediately start receiving up to 110 million doses of Moderna at a reduced rate negotiated by the United States; and the first country to negotiate a deal to send vaccines directly to humanitarian settings and conflict zones to vaccinate displaced persons. The path forward in the pandemic will require doubling down on our commitment to help vaccinate the globe and to save lives by making tests, treatments, and PPE widely available.

Leverage the vaccine donation model America pioneered to deliver the 1.2 billion doses we committed to donate to the rest of the   world.

America will continue to deliver the 1.2 billion doses we committed to donate to countries in need, continuing to leverage the partnerships the U.S. government built to donate and deliver vaccines to the rest of the world.

Increase efforts to get shots in arms around the   world.

The U.S. government will increase investment in the Initiative for Global Vaccine Access (Global VAX), an ambitious global vaccination initiative to get doses into arms by working with partner countries to more quickly implement their plans. This includes supporting efforts such as jumpstarting communications campaigns, providing and supporting vaccinators on the front lines, purchasing cold chain supplies and syringes, paying for shipping and logistics to expedite vaccine delivery to hard-to-reach areas, ensuring people at high risk of hospitalization and deaths like the elderly and immunocompromised are vaccinated, and building vaccine confidence on the ground. Expanded global shots-in-arms efforts will require additional funding from Congress.

Save lives by solving the oxygen crisis and making emergency supplies widely   available.

The U.S. government will make oxygen and PPE available; enhance testing; provide treatments; strengthen global health systems to fight COVID-19; protect health workers from COVID-19 and essential health services from COVID-19 disruptions; improve detection, monitoring and mitigation of new COVID-19 variants; and increase regional and local manufacturing of countermeasures. These continued investments will require additional funding from Congress.

Continue global leadership on the COVID- ⁠ 19 response and build better health security for the   future.

 The U.S. government will continue to work to build better capacity to fight COVID-19, manage future variants, and advance health security and preparedness for future pandemics. America is committed to establishing a new health security financial intermediary fund at the World Bank in 2022, and we call on all countries and public and private organizations to commit to urgent action to assist in the global COVID-19 response.

Read the Administration’s Full National COVID- ⁠ 19 Preparedness Plan

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State-by-State Guide to Face Mask Requirements

States, cities and counties have largely eased or ended mandates.

Andy Markowitz,

• Connecticut
• District of Columbia
• Massachusetts
• Mississippi
• New Hampshire
• North Carolina

North Dakota

Pennsylvania.

• Puerto Rico

Rhode Island

South carolina, south dakota, west virginia.

The last statewide orders broadly requiring people to wear masks in indoor public places ended in early 2022. Several state and local governments continued to mandate face-covering in high-risk settings such as health care and  long-term care facilities  into 2023, but those orders have almost all lapsed. 

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The U.S. government's nationwide mask order for public transit, commercial flights and transportation hubs such as airports and train stations  formally expired  with the  end of federal public health emergency  May 11. It had not been enforced for more than a year due to an April 2022 court order. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  continues to recommend masking  while on public transportation and at transportation hubs.

Over the course of the pandemic, 39 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia had orders at some point broadly requiring people to wear masks in public. Eleven states did not impose mandates at any point. Several states have moved via legislation or executive action to prevent local governments and school districts from doing so.

The Navaho Nation, the largest U.S. tribal nation, ended its mask mandate Jan. 20. The order had been in effect across the Navajo reservation, which covers more than 27,000 square miles in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, for nearly three years.

Some states now direct health care workers to follow  CDC recommendations  on mask use in medical settings and nursing homes. In most places, business or private entities may set their own mask policies where there are no state, local or tribal requirements. Amid a late-summer surge in COVID-19 cases, some hospitals and health systems have reinstituted mast requirements for staff and visitors, particularly in patient-care areas.

Alabama's mask mandate expired April 9, 2021. The state Department of Public Health recommends face-covering in public as part of its COVID-19 safety guidance. Municipal mask mandates in Birmingham and Montgomery expired in May 2021.

Learn more:  Read Alabama's  COVID-19 information page .

Mask orders covering state government facilities and the Alaska State Capitol building ended in May 2021. A mask mandate in Anchorage, the state's largest city, was rescinded the same month. The capital city of Juneau downgraded its indoor mask requirement to a recommendation in February 2022. 

Learn more:  See the Alaska Department of Health's  COVID-19 guidance .

Then-Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order in March 2021 lifting all state COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and restricting local governments' ability to impose and enforce face-covering orders. Ducey signed legislation April 25 that bars school districts and local governments from requiring anyone under age 18 to mask up without the consent of a parent or guardian. He also signed legislation May 20 that prohibits mask mandates in buildings run by state or local governments.

Learn more:  Read the Arizona Department of Health Services'  mask guidance .

Then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson lifted his 8-month-old mask mandate March 31, 2021. Health officials continue to recommend that Arkansans wear masks in public when unable to maintain 6 feet of distance from people outside their households. A state law barring local governments from imposing mask orders, enacted in April 2021, was struck down by an Arkansas judge later that year.

Learn more:  Read the Arkansas health department's  COVID-19 guidance .

California 

Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted California's general indoor mask mandate March 1, 2022. A mask order covering health care and long-term care facilities, correctional facilities, and homeless and emergency shelters ended April 3.

Several Bay Area jurisdictions have mask orders for health care settings, including nursing homes, during respiratory illness season. Face-covering is required for workers at health care facilities in San Francisco and in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, San Mateo and Sonoma counties. Anyone entering such facilities, including visitors, must mask up in Marin and Santa Clara counties. A mask order for health care workers in Mendocino County on the North Coast takes effect Nov. 24. Some of these orders cover other settings such as correctional facilities and homeless shelters. All are scheduled to run through April 2024.  

Learn more:  Read California's  face-covering guidance .

Gov. Jared Polis ended Colorado’s statewide mandate May 14, 2021. Health care and long-term care facilities are directed to follow the CDC guidance on masking.  

Learn more:  Read the Colorado health department's  mask guidance.

Connecticut 

Gov. Ned Lamont lifted Connecticut's general face-covering order for indoor public places on Feb. 28, 2022.  A mask requirement for health care settings, long-term care facilities and shelters ended April 15, 2022. The cities of New Haven and Bridgeport ended indoor mask mandates in early 2022.  

Learn more:  Read Connecticut’s  COVID-19 guidance .

Gov. John Carrey's indoor mask order was lifted Feb. 11, 2022. Staff at medical and long-term care facilities are directed to follow CDC face-covering guidelines.

Learn more:  Read Delaware's  face-covering guidance .

District of Columbia 

The District's order requiring masks for people over age 2 in most indoor public places ended March 1, 2022. Mandates for specific settings were phased out over the remainder of that year. The only current requirement is for masking in health care facilities when COVID-19 community levels are high, according to DC Health, the District's public-health agency. 

Learn more:  Read the District's mask guidance .

A law passed by the state legislature May 3 and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis May 11 permanently prohibits private businesses and government entities from imposing mask mandates. Local governments and school systems were already barred from establishing mask rules and other COVID-19 restrictions under a May 2021 gubernatorial order.

Learn more:  Read the Florida health department's COVID-19 guidance .

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Gov. Brian Kemp issued an executive order in August 2021 prohibiting local governments from imposing mask rules on private businesses. Mandates in Atlanta and Savannah that required most individuals to mask up in indoor public places were rescinded in late February.

An indoor mask mandate enforced in Athens and Clarke County during periods of high community spread was fully lifted Oct. 6 as the county's COVID-19 emergency declaration expired. 

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Learn more:  Read the Georgia Department of Public Health's  COVID-19 guidance .

The state's indoor face-covering order, in place since April 2020, expired March 25, 2022. Previously, people age 5 and up are required to wear a mask in most indoor public settings.

Learn more:  Read Hawaii's  mask guidance .

Boise, Idaho's capital and largest city, dropped its mask mandate in May 2021, as did several other jurisdictions. Gov. Brad Little signed an executive order May 28, 2021, restoring local governments' authority to make their own mask rules, reversing a move by then-Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin to strip such local control in an order she issued while Little was at a conference out of state. 

Learn more:  See Idaho's COVID-19 information site .

Gov. J.B. Pritzker eliminated the state's order requiring people to mask up in indoor public spaces Feb. 28, 2022. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot lifted a similar citywide mandate the same day.

Pritzker lifted a face-covering order for health care settings Oct. 17. Masking is recommended at facilities in communities at high risk for COVID-19 spread. 

Learn more:  See the Illinois Department of Public Health's COVID-19 resources .

The state's mask mandate became a "mask advisory" April 6, 2021. Face-covering is required for all people in state-run congregate facilities such as prisons, state hospitals and veterans homes.

Learn more:  Read the Indiana Department of Health's  COVID-19 control guidance .

Gov. Kim Reynolds lifted the state’s mask order in February 2021. The following May, she signed legislation barring local governments from compelling businesses to require masks.

Iowa City's indoor mask mandate, which municipal officials said was legal because it was binding on individuals, not businesses, was rescinded March 1, 2022. Cedar Rapids lifted a face-covering requirement in city buildings on August 11. 

A federal appeals court panel ruled on May 16 that Iowa school districts cannot issue mask mandates unless they’re needed to comply with other federal or state laws.

Learn more:  Read Iowa's  COVID-19 prevention guidance .

Kansas lawmakers revoked the state's mask requirement April 1, 2021, hours after Gov. Laura Kelly issued an executive order intended to extend it, under a state law passed the previous month that gave a panel of top legislators authority to overturn the governor's emergency orders. Kansas City and Wyandotte County, which have a unified government, repealed their indoor mask mandate Dec. 16, 2021.

Learn more:  Read the Kansas health department's COVID-19 guidance .

Kentucky's general mask mandate ended June 11, 2021, along with the state's remaining COVID-19 health restrictions for the general public.

Learn more:  Read the Kentucky Department of Public Health's  COVID-19 prevention and treatment guidance .

BACK TO THE TOP

Gov. John Bel Edwards lifted the state's general indoor mask order Oct. 27, 2021, as a delta-fueled spike in COVID-19 cases eased. The mandate, Louisiana's second of the pandemic, had been in effect since early August. New Orleans ended its citywide indoor mask mandate March 3, 2022.

Learn more:  Read Louisiana's mask guidance .

Maine has not had a mandate in place since late May 2021. The state is following the CDC recommendations for masking based on community COVID-19 impact. Portland lifted its citywide indoor mask order Feb. 17, 2022. 

Learn more:  Read Maine's mask FAQs .

Then-Gov. Larry Hogan ended Maryland's statewide mask mandate along with all other COVID-19 emergency orders July 1, 2021. The state's two largest counties, Montgomery and Prince George's, and the city of Baltimore lifted indoor mask orders in early 2022.

Learn more:  Read the Maryland Department of Health's COVID-19 guidance .

Massachusetts 

A mask mandate for health care and long-term care facilities, emergency shelters and prisons expired May 11 when the state and federal public health emergencies ended. 

The state's general face-covering order was lifted May 29, 2021. Boston and Springfield lifted citywide indoor mask mandates in early 2022.

Learn more:  Read Massachusetts' guidance on face-covering .

Michigan lifted its general mask mandate June 22, 2021, and ended site-specific face-covering requirements in health care facilities, long-term care facilities, jails and shelters Feb. 16. The state continues to recommend all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, mask up in such "high-risk congregate settings." 

Learn more: Read Michigan's COVID-19 guidance .

Gov. Tim Walz ended the state’s general mask mandate May 14, 2021. The Minnesota Department of Health recommends masking "in some settings and situations," in accordance with CDC guidelines. Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Duluth lifted municipal mask orders in February 2022.

Learn more: Read the state health department's  mask recommendations .

Mississippi 

The Mississippi State Department of Health recommends face-covering in all indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status. A statewide order mandating indoor masking in counties with high COVID-19 case rates expired in March 2021.

Learn more: Read Mississippi’s COVID-19 prevention guidelines .

The state Department of Health and Senior Services recommends that all people age 2 and older mask up in public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. St. Louis County's indoor mask mandate ended Feb. 28, 2022. Kansas City and surrounding Jackson County lifted general mask orders in November 2021.

Learn more:  Read the Missouri health department's  COVID-19 prevention guidance .

Gov. Greg Gianforte rescinded the state’s mask mandate Feb. 12, 2021, and signed legislation the following May invalidating local mask mandates, effectively ending face-covering orders in Gallatin, Missoula and other counties.

Learn more:  Read Montana's COVID-19 guidance .

The state Department of Health and Human Services recommends people wear face coverings in public when unable to maintain social distancing. Local indoor mask orders in Omaha and Lincoln were lifted in February 2022.

Learn more:  Read the Nebraska health department's guidance on COVID-19 and other seasonal respiratory illnesses.

Then-Gov. Steve Sisolak ended the state’s mask mandate Feb. 10, 2022. Before that, Nevadans over age 9 were required to mask up in indoor public places, regardless of their vaccination status, in counties that met the CDC criteria for high or substantial rates of COVID-19 transmission. 

Learn more:  See the Nevada health department's COVID-19 page .

New Hampshire  

Gov. Chris Sununu allowed New Hampshire's the state's mask mandate to expire April 16, 2021, about six months after it was implemented. The cities of Keene and Nashua lifted mask mandates covering local indoor public facilities in February 2022.

Learn more:  See New Hampshire's COVID-19 response page .

New Jersey 

Gov. Phil Murphy said April 17 that the state had ended a mask requirement for health care facilities. He lifted New Jersey's general face-covering order May 28, 2021. The city of Newark lifted its indoor mask mandate March 2, 2022.

Learn more:  Read New Jersey's mask guidelines .

New Mexico 

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham lifted the state's indoor mask order Feb. 17, 2022. Mask mandates covering "congregate settings" such as hospitals, long-term care facilities and detention centers expired with the end of the state’s public health emergency March 31.

Learn more:  Read New Mexico's  COVID-19 prevention toolkit .

A face-covering requirement for staff and visitors at health care facilities, including nursing homes, expired Feb. 12, about a year after Gov. Kathy Hochul lifted the state's general indoor mask order. Mandates covering public transit, homeless shelters and correctional facilities ended Sept. 7.

Learn more:  Read New York's COVID-19 prevention guidance .

North Carolina 

Gov. Roy Cooper ended the state's general mask mandate May 14, 2021. Face-covering is no longer required in in hospitals and long-term care facilities. The city of Raleigh and Wake, Durham and Mecklenburg counties dropped local mask orders in early 2022.

Learn more:  Read North Carolina's  face-covering guidance .

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The North Dakota Department of Health recommends residents follow CDC masking guidance. There has been no statewide mandate since Jan. 18, 2021. 

Learn more:  Read the state health department's mask guidance .

The state's mask order expired June 2, 2021, as the Ohio Department of Health lifted most other pandemic health orders. 

Learn more: Read Ohio's mask and social distancing guidance .

Gov. Kevin Stitt called on Oklahomans to wear masks in public but rejected calls for a state mandate. Local mask mandates in the state's largest cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, ended April 30 and May 1, 2021, respectively.

Learn more:  Read the Oklahoma health department's COVID-19 guidance .

Then-Gov. Kate Brown lifted the state's mask mandate March 12, 2022. The Oregon Health Authority announced in early March that a face-covering requirement for workers, patients and visitors at health care facilities ended April 3.

Learn more: Read Oregon's mask guidance .

Pennsylvania's mask mandate was rescinded June 28, 2021. The state Department of Health recommends that Pennsylvanians follow CDC face-covering guidelines. Philadelphia's most recent indoor mask order was lifted April 22, 2022. 

Learn more: Read the Pennsylvania health department's COVID-19 prevention guidance .

Puerto Rico 

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi lifted the territory's face-covering mandate for indoor public places March 10, 2022. The Department of Health rscinded mask requirements for health care and long-term care facilities May 11, when Pierluisi declared an end to Puerto Rico's COVID-19 emergency.

Learn more: Read the governor's order ending Puerto Rico’s state of emergency (Spanish).

Gov. Dan McKee's mask-or-vaccine order — which mandated masking at large indoor businesses but gave smaller establishments an option to require either face-covering or proof of vaccination — expired Feb. 11, 2022, about two months after it went into effect. Masking remains mandatory for unvaccinated staff at health care facilities in communities where the weekly COVID-19 case count exceeds 50 per 100,000 people (as tracked at the state Department of Health's COVID-19 data hub .

Learn more:  Read Rhode Island's mask guidance .

Gov. Henry McMaster has encouraged unvaccinated South Carolinians to mask up but did not impose a statewide mandate and issued an executive order May 11, 2021, invalidating existing local face-covering rules in several jurisdictions. Columbia, the state's capital and second-largest city, repealed its indoor mask mandate in November, and a face-covering order in surrounding Richland County expired May 1.

Learn more:  Read the South Carolina health department's mask guidance .

The South Dakota Department of Health recommends “wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission."

Learn more:  Read the state health department's  COVID-19 guidance .

Gov. Bill Lee did not impose a statewide mandate and signed legislation Nov. 12, 2021, that severely limits local governments' authority to enact their own mask rules. 

Learn more:  Read the Tennessee health department's mask guidance .

Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation June 2 that prohibits most state and local government bodies from imposing mask mandates (there are exceptions for health care, criminal justice and juvenile justice facilities and residential centers operated by state disability agencies). The law took effect Sept. 1. Abbott had largely barred face-covering mandates by executive order in July 2021, four months after he lifted an eight-month statewide mask requirement.

Learn more : Read a roundup of Texas’ mask policies .

Utah's order requiring masks in most public settings ended April 10, 2021, five months after it was issued, under a state law that phased out various COVID-19 public health restrictions. Indoor mask mandates implemented in Salt Lake and Summit counties in January 2022 were overturned by the state legislature.

Learn more: Read Utah's mask guidance .

Gov. Phil Scott lifted Vermont's mask mandate and all other COVID-19 restrictions June 15, 2021. 

Learn more: Read the Vermont Department of Health's COVID-19 guidance .

Then-Gov. Ralph Northam's order ending statewide COVID-19 restrictions took effect May 28, 2021, two weeks after he effectively lifted Virginia's universal mask mandate to align with CDC guidance at the time. 

Learn more:  Read the Virginia Department of Health's mask guidance .

The state lifted its general indoor mask order March 12, 2022, about three weeks after a mandate for masking at large outdoor events ended. A mask mandate for people age 5 and older in health care, long-term care and correctional facilities was lifted April 3.

Learn more: Read the state Department of Health's mask guidance .

Gov. Jim Justice signed an executive order June 20, 2021, revoking the state's 11-month-old mask mandate. In its final weeks the directive had covered unvaccinated people age 9 and up in indoor public spaces.

Learn more:  Read West Virginia's past face-covering orders .

The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Gov. Tony Evers' mask mandate March 31, 2021. In a 4-3 vote on a case brought by Republican state legislators, the court ruled that Evers, a Democrat, overstepped his authority by repeatedly extending pandemic-related emergency orders without lawmakers’ approval.

Indoor mask mandates in the city of Milwaukee and Dane County, which includes Madison, expired March 1, 2022. Milwaukee County, which continued to require face-covering on public buses and in the county courthouse into 2023, lifted all its mask orders May 9.

Find COVID-19 Vaccines in Your State

AARP's  53 state and territory COVID-19 vaccine guides  can help you find vaccines near you and provide the latest answers to common questions about costs, eligibility and availability.

Learn more: Read the Wisconsin health department's mask guidance .

Gov. Mark Gordon rescinded the state's 3-month-old mask mandate March 16, 2021. The state health department recommends that residents "consider wearing a well-fitting face mask that covers your nose and mouth in indoor public settings." 

Learn more:  Read the Wyoming Department of Health's COVID-19 guidance .

Andy Markowitz is a writer and editor for AARP, covering Social Security and fraud. He is a former editor of The Prague Post and Baltimore City Paper. 

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Four free COVID home tests per household available from feds starting Monday

Posted: September 25, 2023 | Last updated: September 26, 2023

Consumers can once again get four free coronavirus home tests per household through the government-run website CovidTests.gov .

The Biden administration reopened the free test program beginning Monday, as the Department of Health and Human Services announced it will award $600 million to a dozen domestic coronavirus test manufacturers to shore up the government's supply of home tests.

The investment will deliver about 200 million new over-the-counter coronavirus tests, officials said.

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During four previous rounds, HHS secured and the Postal Service delivered more than 755 million tests free to households. The program ended at the conclusion of the COVID-19 public health emergency earlier this year. The federal government has continued to ship tests to nursing homes, low-income senior housing, the uninsured and underserved communities, officials said.

HHS' Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response announced the contracts will range from $167 million to iHealth in California to $4.5 million to Advin in California. The a dozen test manufacturers employ hundreds of workers in seven states, officials said.

“The Biden-Harris Administration, in partnership with domestic manufacturers, has made great strides in addressing vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain by reducing our reliance on overseas manufacturing,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “These critical investments will strengthen our nation’s production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests and help mitigate the spread of the virus.”HHS officials said the tests will detect the COVID-19 variants now circulating and can be used through the end of 2023.

Consumers who order a new test will get a warning that the free tests might show expired dates on the box. The Food and Drug Administration extended expiration dates for home coronavirus tests.

The Biden administration launched CovidTests in early 2022 as  long lines and home test shortages made it difficult for Americans  to get checked for the contagious omicron variant, then the dominant strain. The federal government initially purchased 500 million home tests to be mailed to households so people could test themselves at home without a lab.

COVID-19 infections have been  rising since early July , data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Hospitalizations are up 7.7% as of Sept. 9 and deaths 12.5% as of Sept. 16, but totals remain far below previous peaks.

The share of positive coronavirus tests climbed from about 4% in early June to 12.5% as of Sept. 16. The CDC testing data typically doesn't include home coronavirus tests unless someone visits a doctor who orders a test through a lab.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Four free COVID home tests per household available from feds starting Monday

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COVID-19 testing and vaccine rules for entering the U.S.

• As of May 12, 2023, noncitizen nonimmigrant visitors to the U.S.  arriving by air  or  arriving by land or sea  no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 
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Moscow to require anti-Covid pass to enter bars, restaurants as cases surge

Moscow will only let people into bars and restaurants if they have had the COVID-19 shot or already had the coronavirus, its mayor said on Tuesday, as he announced new restrictions amid a surge in cases that authorities blame on the new Delta variant.

Issued on: 22/06/2021 - 16:55

Russia reported 546 coronavirus-related deaths nationwide on Tuesday, the most confirmed in a single day since February. New cases totalled 16,715. Moscow has reported the most cases on a daily basis out of any Russian region throughout the pandemic.

The new restrictions announced on Mayor Sergei Sobyanin's blog are due to take effect on June 28.

In order to visit cafes, restaurants or bars, residents will need to present a QR-code showing they have either had the vaccine, had the coronavirus confirmed within the last 6 months or tested negative within the last 3 days, Sobyanin said.

The move comes amid a push by officials to speed up the slow rate of vaccinations across the country.

Russia has approved four domestically made vaccines, but by June 2, only 18 million of the 144-million population had received at least one dose of a vaccine.

The authorities are trying to coax and compel people to get the shot, offering those who do the chance to win new cars and flats, while threatening others who don't with loss of earnings and dismissal.

Sobyanin said that more than 2 million Moscow residents had now received at least one vaccine dose and that the number of people who have registered to get a shot has increased significantly.

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Plan your trip

Visa & entry requirements for moscow.

Do you know which documents you'll need to travel to Russia ? Plan ahead and find out if you need your passport, visa, national ID or all of the above!

Russian Visa

Citizens of most countries require a visa to enter Russia, for which the application should be made  at least a month before your trip . For most travellers a tourist visa will be sufficient: these allow a stay of up to 30 days with one or two entries within that period. If you are planning to stay for longer than a month, there are business and other types of visas available. If you're just passing through, it's possible to get a transit visa, but as these allow limited time in the country and are the same price as a regular tourist visa, it's usually best to go for that option.

What will I need for the visa?

• Passport  valid for at least six months after your return date.
• Visa invitation letter  (known as a "visa support") provided by your hotel or hostel (sometimes for free, sometimes for a fee), or if you're not staying in one of these, they can be bought from travel or visa agencies (prices vary).
• Completed application form  including everywhere you've visited over the past 10 years: make sure to fill it in carefully! Find the electronic visa application form at the  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation  and make sure to keep a note of the identity number given to you.
• Handling fee  (amount varies depending on visa type, how you quickly you need it and the agency used to acquire your visa).
• One or two  passport-sized p hotos .

How do I get the visa?

With all of your necessary documentation, you'll then need to go to your Russian embassy or dedicated visa agency: when you first visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website linked above, the Contacts link under your selected country will show the official offices for visa applications. You may also be asked to bring bank statements, birth certificates of children travelling with you and proof of travel insurance , so make sure to double check what you need in advance.

What happens when I arrive?

On arrival in Russia, you'll be given an  immigration form  produced electronically at passport control.  Make sure to hold on to this  as you'll need it both to  register your stay  and to  leave the country .

Register your visa : every visitor to Russia must register their visa within seven business days of arrival. If you're in Moscow for less than seven business days, you are exempt, and if you leave Moscow, you must register again in any city where you stay seven days or longer. It is your accommodation  that is obligated to register your visa  for you: whether this is your hotel, hostel, landlord, friend or family. Commonly, you'll give up your passport and visa on check in for your hotel to register you with the local visa office.

How COVID-19 Spreads

COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that contain the virus. These droplets and particles can be breathed in by other people or land on their eyes, noses, or mouth. In some circumstances, they may contaminate surfaces they touch.

Many viruses are constantly changing, including the virus that causes COVID-19. These changes occur over time and can lead to the emergence of variants  that may have new characteristics, including different ways of spreading.

Anyone infected with COVID-19 can spread it, even if they do NOT have symptoms.

Learn more about what you can do to  protect yourself and others .

COVID-19 and Animals

COVID-19 can spread from people to animals in some situations. Pet cats and dogs can sometimes become infected by people with COVID-19. Learn what you should do if you have pets .

Food and Water

There is no evidence to suggest that handling food or consuming food  can spread COVID-19. Follow food safety guidelines when handling and cleaning fresh produce. Do not wash produce with soap, bleach, sanitizer, alcohol, disinfectant, or any other chemical.

Drinking Water

There is also no current evidence that people can get COVID-19 by drinking water. The virus that causes COVID-19 has not been detected in drinking water. Conventional water treatment methods that use filtration and disinfection, such as those in most municipal drinking water systems, should remove or kill the virus that causes COVID-19.​

Natural Bodies of Water (Lakes, Oceans, Rivers)

There are no scientific reports of the virus that causes COVID-19 spreading to people through the water in lakes, oceans, rivers, or other natural bodies of water.

Genetic material from the virus that causes COVID-19 has been found in  untreated wastewater (also referred to as “sewage”). There is no information to date that anyone has become sick with COVID-19 because of direct exposure to treated or untreated wastewater. Wastewater treatment plants use chemical and other disinfection processes to remove and degrade many viruses and bacteria. The virus that causes COVID-19 is inactivated by the disinfection methods used in wastewater treatment.

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