Embassy: No vaccine needed to enter U.S.

The United States Embassy is assuring individuals that they do not need to get the Covid-19 vaccine before travelling to the US.
However, travellers must present a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which should be taken within 72 hours of arrival into the US.
The information was provided by US Embassy consular chief Cindy Diouf during an information session on social media last week.
The session was held to respond to the many questions from the public regarding travel to the US at this time.
Diouf said one of the common questions was whether people travelling to the US could access the vaccine there.
“The answer to that is what I have heard from Trinbagonians who have travelled recently is that they were able to go to the US and get a vaccine. You would want to consult your family and friends that are living there,” she responded.
Asked if the US Embassy will be making arrangements for US citizens here to be vaccinated, she clarified that the Embassy did not provide private medical care to US citizens anywhere in the world.
Responding to another question about whether a specific brand of vaccine is required for entry into the US, Diouf again stressed that, unlike other countries, the US did not have a vaccine entry requirement.
Asked if a fully vaccinated person still required a negative PCR test to enter the US, Diouf said: “Yes! Even me! I got vaccinated, my kids got vaccinated but we still had to take the PCR test here in Trinidad and Tobago to be able to travel. That test has to be taken within 72 hours of arrival into the United States. So yes, everyone needs that.”
Visa queries
Diouf said the easiest way to obtain a US visa at this time was via the interview waiver process.
“And the reason for that is due to social distancing requirements, due to Government of Trinidad and Tobago regulations. We are only able to see a small number of applicants every day. Keep in mind that we have been open continuously since the beginning of the Covid pandemic,” she said.
She advised that people with US passports that expired after January 2020 are able to return to the US on that expired passport.
“We spoke with Caribbean Airlines about a month ago and they confirmed that they were allowing American citizens to travel into the US with those expired passports,” she said.
One person wanted to find out whether a visa would still be valid if it expired on August 22 but they wanted to travel from August 20 to August 30.
Diouf said the visa must be valid the day a person presents themselves at the airport.
She noted that emergency visa appointments were evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
“Keep in mind that the number of requests for emergency appointments far exceeds the capacity. So if you have an appointment, hold on to it. What you would need to send us are the particulars of the situation...fully lay out what is your circumstance, what is going on with your life that you need to get immediately into the US.
“So you don’t want to put in there something along the lines of having heart surgery at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota because when you show up at your interview I’m going to ask you for the documentation from Mayo Clinic indicating you’re having surgery soon. So whatever you say, always be honest. The US government knows everything...most things anyway, with regard to travel and entry into our country.”
Source:  Daily Express, July 13, 2021