Heed New United States COVID-19 Travel Requirements – Ambassador Kapambwe

PRESS STATEMENT

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

…travelers to the US need negative COVID-19 test and documentation of recovery issued by licensed health officer…

Washington D.C., Tuesday, 2 February 2020 — Zambia’s Ambassador to the United States H.E. Mr. Lazarous Kapambwe has called on Zambians to pay particular attention to COVID-19 travel obligations that require travelers to the USA to have a negative pre-departure test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 for all airline or aircraft passengers two years of age or older arriving into the United States.

According to the latest State Department travel advisory, each passenger traveling to the USA from any part of the world should have a negative pre-departure test for COVID-19.

This should be a viral test that was conducted on a specimen collected within three calendar days (72 hours) preceding the flight’s departure. Alternatively, if the passenger has recovered from COVID-19 within the past three months, the passenger may instead travel with written or electronic documentation of a positive viral test result that confirms previous COVID-19 infection and a letter from a licensed health care provider or public health official stating that the passenger has been cleared for travel (Documentation of Recovery).

The new US Government regulations went into effect Tuesday January 26, 2021.

The new travel requirements require passengers to retain written or electronic documentation reflecting the negative Qualifying Test result or Document of Recovery to present to the airline or aircraft operator. Persons must also produce a Qualifying Test result or Document of Recovery upon request to any U.S. government official or cooperating state or local public health authority.

The airline will verify that every passenger aged two years or older onboard the flight has attested to receiving a negative Qualifying Test result or has Documentation of Recovery from COVID-19. The airline will check the documentation, and each passenger should have a completed Passenger Disclosure and Attestation to the United States of America, which can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/attachment-a-global-passenger-disclos... .

Ambassador Kapambwe said all Zambians traveling to the US should ensure that they carried all required documentation and sought advice from relevant authorities and airlines before their travel.

“We urge our citizens back home to take note of these new requirements so that they are not inconvenienced in any way. Our citizenry in the American diaspora must also appraise themselves with these regulations so that as they plan to travel out and return to the USA, they know what is required of them and where they can get such pre-flight services outside the US.”

“Our citizenry must realize that without adhering to these new requirements, they would not be allowed to fly into the USA. Our call therefore is for all those planning to travel to the US to adhere to these requirements so that they do not suffer any disruption in their businesses and any other engagements,” Ambassador Kapambwe said.

He encouraged Zambian nationals to utilize resources and information on travel to the US available on CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-air-travel.html as well as the Embassy of Zambia website https://www.zambiaembassy.org for other country specific updates.

Issued by:

Eric Mwanza
First Secretary – Press & Public Relations
Embassy of the Republic of Zambia
Washington D.C.

More information:
Phone: +1 202 674-6531
Email: ericmwanza@zambiaembassy.org
Twitter: @ZambiainUSA
Web: zambiaembassy.org