US extends COVID vaccine requirement at land borders

The requirement, which applies to non US residents and residents, was first put in place in November final yr.

The Division of Homeland Safety didn't give a timeline for the extension, however mentioned it aimed to guard public well being whereas facilitating commerce and journey [File: Elaine Thompson/AP Photo]

The administration of US President Joe Biden has prolonged a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for non-US residents crossing land or ferry terminals at the US’s borders with Mexico and Canada.

In an announcement on Thursday, the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) mentioned the extension adopted a session with federal well being businesses, together with the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC).

“The Biden-Harris Administration is dedicated to defending public well being whereas facilitating lawful commerce and journey, which is important to our financial safety,” mentioned Secretary of Homeland Safety Alejandro Mayorkas.

The necessities don't apply to US residents and residents, and DHS didn't give a timeline for the extension.

The necessities have been first adopted in November of final yr because the US reopened its land crossings to international vacationers; that they had been closed to most international guests since March 2020.

The modifications don't have an effect on present necessities that every one travellers to the US, no matter citizenship, current a adverse antigen check taken not more than sooner or later earlier than the date of departure.

The extension comes days after a federal choose within the US state of Florida struck down a CDC mandate that required travellers to put on masks on public transit throughout the nation, together with on aeroplanes, trains and subways.

The US Division of Justice introduced on Wednesday that it deliberate to attraction the choice following a suggestion from the CDC, which had mentioned the mandate for journey “stays essential to guard the general public well being”.

Native jurisdictions can nonetheless determine to implement masks necessities.

Well being officers have mentioned they're intently monitoring an uptick in COVID-19 instances throughout the US, though they've famous that hospitalisations for the illness stay very low.

The nation has reported the best variety of COVID-19 deaths on the earth, with greater than 990,200 fatalities because the pandemic started, based on knowledge from Johns Hopkins College.