travel to new york do i need a covid test

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Updated 3/1/2024

WHILE IN NEW YORK

Call ahead and check websites and social media to make sure attractions and amenities are open and available.

The CDC recommends staying home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory virus symptoms that aren't better explained by another cause. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others. If you test positive for COVID-19, call the following numbers for information on treatments and other assistance: 1-888-364-3065 (All of New York State) 1-212-COVID19 (212-268-4319) (New York City only)

MASKS & VACCINATION

Wearing a well-fitting face mask or respirator (i.e. KN95, KF94 or N95 or higher rated mask)  completely covering your nose and mouth  and staying current on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters can help keep you and the communities you are visiting safe. 

Masks and proof of COVID-19 vaccination continue to be required in all cities, localities, and private businesses that choose to require them despite the removal of statewide mandates. Businesses and venues may require COVID-19 safety measures for some or all events they host.

Please be respectful of the request to put on a mask properly covering both nose and mouth, or other COVID-19 safety mitigation requirements, at an attraction or in a place of business.

Visitors to NYC who are interested in finding mask-required venues and events can find relevant information on the NYC Mask Guide site  (note: clicking this link will take you to a separate website created by local residents, these listings are not curated by I LOVE NY).

INTERNATIONAL VISITORS

As of May 12, 2023, international visitors are no longer required to show proof of vaccination to enter the United States.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

World Health Organization: Coronavirus

CDC: How to protect yourself & others

CDC: 2019 Novel Coronavirus

Local NYS County Health Departments

NYC Department of Health

US Travel Association - Emergency Preparedness and Response: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Vaccination in New York Stat e

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From vaccines to testing: What travelers need to know before the new US travel system on Nov. 8

• The U.S. is launching a new travel system on Nov. 8.
• Vaccinated foreign air travelers will need to show proof of full vaccination and test for COVID-19.
• The new travel system also adds more stringent testing requirements for unvaccinated U.S. travelers.

The United States is about to make it much easier for vaccinated international travelers to visit.  

The White House announced that a new air travel system will take effect Nov. 8, allowing entry for fully vaccinated foreign tourists .  The system is set to launch nearly two years after the U.S. began imposing travel restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 . 

The move by the White House will essentially have the U.S. drop its travel ban on dozens of countries while also making entry more challenging for the unvaccinated. The new system will allow entry for foreign nationals only with vaccinations approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization and would add testing requirements for unvaccinated Americans.

Here’s what we know about the new travel requirements:

What are the entry requirements for foreign nationals?

Starting Nov. 8, non-citizen, non-immigrant air travelers   will need to show proof of full vaccination as well as a pre-departure negative coronavirus test taken within three days of travel before they can board a plane to the U.S. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Acceptable forms of proof of vaccination include:

• Digital or paper verifiable record, such as a vaccination certificate or a digital pass with a QR code.  
• Nonverifiable paper record, such as a printout of a COVID-19 vaccination record or COVID-19 vaccination certificate.
• Nonverifiable digital record, such as a digital photo of a vaccination card or record, downloaded vaccine record, downloaded vaccination certificate or a mobile phone application without a QR code.  

The U.S. will accept nucleic acid amplification tests, including PCR tests, and antigen tests. The rules will go into effect for passengers on planes leaving for the U.S. at or after 12:01 a.m. ET on Nov. 8.  

Airlines will collect basic personal contact information   from all U.S.-bound travelers for contact tracing. Airlines are required to keep the information on hand so the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   can reach out to travelers who may have been infected or exposed to COVID-19.

Masking will be required, but there will be no quarantine mandate for vaccinated travelers or unvaccinated children .

► US  travel bans: How COVID-19 travel restrictions have impacted families and couples

The change will make entering the U.S. possible for travelers from countries now listed on the U.S. travel ban, which prohibits entry for travelers who have been in any of the regions within the past 14 days. The travel ban  took effect in early 2020 and includes :

• United Kingdom
• Republic of Ireland
• South Africa
• The European Schengen area (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City)

Currently, the U.S. asks international air passengers only to get tested within three days of their flight to the U.S. and show either the negative test result or proof of recovery  from COVID-19 before boarding. 

What about the land borders with Mexico and Canada?

New travel rules will also take effect for foreign nationals arriving by land or passenger ferry.

Starting Nov. 8, fully vaccinated foreign nationals can cross the land borders for nonessential reasons such as tourism or visiting friends and family . These travelers will need to verbally attest to their reason for travel and vaccination status and be prepared to show proof of vaccination  upon request. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will accept both digital and paper records showing proof of vaccination, including documents not in English.   Foreign nationals will also need appropriate travel documentation to enter the country.  

CBP will spot-check travelers' vaccination documents, and those without documented proof of vaccination can be denied entry. Travelers under 18 will be exempt from the vaccination requirement as long as they are traveling with a fully vaccinated adult, according to Matthew Davies, CBP's executive director of admissibility and passenger programs.  

The new travel rules will go into effect as soon as a port of entry opens on Nov. 8, or at midnight for ports that operate 24 hours a day changes will go into effect at midnight on Nov. 8 for ports that operation 24 hours a day.  

U.S. citizens reentering the country should also bring a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative document, such as a valid passport, trusted traveler program card, enhanced driver's license or enhanced tribal card. 

Entry rules along the border will change again in early January, with all travelers – including those traveling for essential purposes – required to show proof of full vaccination. 

► US land borders: Travelers in Mexico and Canada plan their next US visit after new land border policy announced

Which vaccines does the US accept for travel?

The CDC has announced that vaccines approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and World Health Organization will be accepted for air travel. White House officials expect the CDC to approve the same vaccines for travelers entering the U.S. by land or ferry.  

The FDA has authorized three COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use during the pandemic: Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer-BioNTech, the last of which has received the FDA's full stamp of approval.

Vaccines with WHO approval for emergency use include:

• Johnson & Johnson
• Pfizer-BioNTech
• Oxford-AstraZeneca/Covishield 

The CDC confirmed that it would accept a mix-and-match approach to vaccinations. Travelers who have any combination of FDA- or WHO-approved vaccines will be considered fully vaccinated.

The new travel policy does not accept foreign travelers who have had COVID and received just one shot in a two-dose series. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the administration will "continue to review" its entry requirements.  

► Covaxin gets WHO emergency approval: Travelers vaccinated with Covaxin can enter US   

► 'You feel lonely and left out': These fully vaccinated travelers want to visit the US. They may not be allowed in.

How do the new rules affect kids? 

Foreign nationals under 18 are exempt from the vaccination requirement. Children under two will not need to take a pre-departure COVID test.

Kids 2 and older traveling with a fully vaccinated adult can test three days prior to departure, while children traveling alone or with unvaccinated adults will need to get tested within one day of departure. 

Currently, all air passengers 2 or older, including U.S. citizens and permanent residents, need to show a negative coronavirus test to fly to the U.S.

What are the entry requirements for Americans?

The new travel system adds more stringent testing requirements for unvaccinated U.S. travelers.

Starting Nov. 8, unvaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents will need to take a test one day before departure and test again upon arrival in the U.S. 

► New travel rules: What US travelers need to know about the new COVID rules for international flights

Entry requirements will not change for vaccinated Americans. They will still need to show proof of a negative coronavirus test taken no more than three days before departure. 

Americans will not need to be fully vaccinated to board international flights to the U.S.

Are there any exemptions?

There is a limited set of travelers who are exempt from the vaccine requirement for entry.

Children under 18, certain COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial participants and travelers with adverse reactions to the vaccines – such as people who have had severe anaphylactic allergic reactions to a prior COVID-19 vaccine –  will be exempt.

People traveling on non-tourist visas from countries with less than 10% of its population vaccinated who need to enter the U.S. for emergency or humanitarian reasons are also exempt from the vaccine requirement. There are about 50 countries considered to have low vaccine availability at this time.

These exempt travelers will generally need to show that they will comply with public health mandates, including a requirement to be vaccinated in the U.S. if they plan to stay more than 60 days.  

Unless they have recovered from COVID-19 within the last 90 days, unvaccinated travelers  must agree to be tested with a COVID-19 viral test three to five days after their arrival and quarantine for seven days, even if their post-arrival test comes back negative. 

Unvaccinated travelers who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must also agree to self-isolate if their post-arrival test is positive or if they develop COVID-19 symptoms. 

Unvaccinated children under 18 will not need to quarantine but will still need to take a post-arrival test. 

► Who is exempt?: These select groups of unvaccinated foreign travelers can enter the US

The CDC will not give exemptions  to people who object to the vaccinations due to religious or moral convictions. 

There will also be testing accommodations for travelers who can prove they recently recovered from the coronavirus. These travelers will need to show a positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before their flight's departure and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or public health official saying they are cleared for travel.  

Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz . 

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Traveling to New York? You will need to take a COVID test first. Here are the new changes

ALBANY - New York is scrapping its weekly list of states from where visitors had to quarantine and instead implementing a new COVID-19 testing system for all travelers outside contiguous states.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the change Saturday, saying a rigorous testing standard is a better way to control the virus' spread in New York, reports the Democrat & Chronicle , a USA TODAY Network publication.

Almost all states were on the state's 14-day quarantine list , making its weekly metrics to determine who met the criteria a fluid system. Even New York itself was trending toward making its own list on Tuesday, when it was next due to be updated.

"Given the changing facts, we’re coming up with a new program," Cuomo said on a conference call with reporters. "And all the experts suggest we shift to a testing system, and that’s what we are going to do."

Here's the new policy

Visiting from a non-contiguous state: If a person wants to visit New York or if a resident left New York for more than 24 hours and wants to return, they must first take a COVID test that proves they are negative within three days prior to their arrival.

Arriving in New York: When a visitor or resident returns to the state, even after a negative test before arrival, they have to quarantine for three days. Then, on the fourth day, they need to take another COVID test. If it's negative, they can be released from quarantine. If not, they have to fulfill a 14-day quarantine.

Leaving New York for less than 24 hours: If a person left New York to a non-border state for less than 24 hours, the traveler would not need to take a test before a return. But he or she would need to take a COVID test after four days.

Dealing with border states: For Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Vermont, the testing requirements do not apply because how often people might travel between the states for work or personal trips, Cuomo said.

What if test results are not back in time? Cuomo's office the change essentially creates an "opt out" program when you can get negative test results. In other words, a person would need to stay in quarantine in New York until their results come back negative.

Cuomo said people traveling from out of state for more than 24 hours would essentially have two tests within seven days that should help detect most positive cases.

"The mandatory quarantine is actually three days upon arrival, you can get a test on the fourth day. The test says you’re negative, that’s that," Cuomo explained.

"So you will have a test within three days of arrival, that says your negative, a test four days after arrival that says you’re negative. Four days plus three days is seven days, and that is basically by all probability the incubation period."

Previously, New York had applied the 14-day requirement to any traveler arriving from states that had at least 10 average daily new cases per 100,000 residents over the prior week, or at least 10% of COVID-19 tests returned positive over the prior week.

The latest list last Tuesday had required travelers from 41 states and territories to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine upon arrival to New York. The list included the nation's three most-populous states in the country — California, Florida and Texas -- but exempted border states New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

New York itself appeared to be right at the threshold for making the list Friday and Saturday.

The state's rate based on 2019 Census population estimates was at 10 average daily cases per 100,000 residents on Saturday after reporting 2,049 cases from the day before.

Cuomo's administration, meanwhile, maintained the state was actually at 9.99 average daily cases on Friday and 9.8 on Saturday.

The state uses a population figure of 19.54 million residents to calculate the figure, which was the Census Bureau's 5-year population estimate released in 2018 and slightly higher than the bureau's one-year 2019 estimate. That figure, which the state has been using since the start of the pandemic, bumps the state slightly below the threshold.

Cuomo said the goal of the new travel policy is to keep New York's infection rate to among the lowest in the nation.

At a 1.5% positivity rate Friday, which includes the state's dozen or so hot spots, New York ranked behind only Maine and Vermont as having the lowest rates in the nation, Cuomo said.

That's after the state had the most deaths and highest infection rates in the nation last spring as the virus struck the Northeast first before it spread across the U.S.

New York, the nation's fourth most populous state, hit more than 500,000 positive cases on Thursday, a mark the three other largest states, California, Texas and Florida, already surpassed.

New York has the capacity to expand its testing, Cuomo said. It tested 136,000 people on Friday.

This article originally appeared on New York State Team: Traveling to NY? You will need a COVID test first

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Traveling soon? Here’s where you can quickly get a COVID-19 test

If you've tried to get a COVID-19 test for travel or for peace of mind recently, you might have run into significant delays.

The omicron variant has complicated travel plans and, depending on where in the country you're located, made it difficult — if not impossible — to get a test. Some companies are reporting shortages, and in major cities like New York , blocks-long lines have formed of people trying to get tested.

For more TPG travel news and tips delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our free daily newsletter.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 testing is still a reality for the times in which we live.

Earlier this year, some countries dropped testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers as more people got COVID-19 vaccines. But depending on where you want to go (and as omicron spreads) a negative COVID-19 test result might be required, particularly if you're not vaccinated or are traveling with unvaccinated children.

If you need a COVID-19 test for travel , you might be wondering where you can get one, what type of test you'll need to take, how long it will take to get an appointment (and wait for results), and what it will cost. To help you prepare, we researched where you can get tested in 25 major metropolitan areas. We found that some tests are entirely free , while others require a copay or are covered with insurance. Some will require full cash payment when requested for travel (instead of due to symptoms or exposure).

Some destinations require negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests taken within a certain time , usually 72 hours, before departure. Many facilities can provide results between 48 and 72 hours, but that isn't always true – especially now.

Also, keep in mind that some testing sites deliver results over the phone, which likely won't be suitable for boarding an aircraft or entering a country.

What type of COVID-19 test do you need?

Antigen test. Rapid test. PCR test. RT-PCR test. Antibody test. Take-home test. If you've taken a COVID-19 test during the pandemic , you might have been bewildered by the sheer number of options.

Keeping track of which COVID-19 test you need can seem daunting. Not all COVID-19 tests are created equal, and not all are suitable for international travel.

You'll usually need a PCR test (polymerase chain reaction) for travel. These are the most reliable tests for detecting active COVID-19 infections and are considered the "gold standard" of testing. In this guide, we'll primarily focus on testing sites that provide these more accurate PCR tests, though keep in mind that some destinations, like Hawaii, only accept PCR tests from a specific list of testing providers .

The tests that often won't help you with travel are antibody tests, blood tests that can identify if a previous COVID-19 infection caused your immune system to produce COVID-19 antibodies. Some destinations also won't accept rapid antigen tests , which check for proteins on the virus's surface. These tests are popular for quick turnaround times but are less accurate than PCR tests and aren't valid to enter some countries, such as Canada .

Check to see if you can get a rapid PCR test

Though PCR tests generally take around 72 hours for results, some urgent care facilities have introduced "rapid PCR tests," where you can receive your results as fast as 30 minutes. That said, if you're looking for a faster way to get a PCR test, it may cost you as these facilities may not accept insurance.

Some rapid PCR testing options include:

• COVIDCheck in San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Denver. Results in six hours for RT-PCR tests. Cost: $349
• Complete Health Partners in Nashville, Tennessee. Results in 30 to 45 minutes. Cost: $250, not billed to insurance.
• DMCovid-19 Test offers travel PCR testing by housecall nationwide in all states except Alaska and Hawaii; it also has nine physical locations. Cost: Price varies by location and whether it's in-home or in the office.
• Elite Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Results in 24 hours. Cost: $250
• Frontage Laboratory in Exton, Pennsylvania (35 minutes from Philadelphia). Offers COVID-19 tests for travelers within six hours. Cost: $203 for an RT-PCR test.
• Medical Offices of Manhattan in New York City, New York. Same-day results. Cost: $175 for the test, which doesn't include doctor consultation.
• Saguaro Bloom in Scottsdale, Arizona. Offers 24-hour and 90-minute turnaround for RT-PCR testing. Cost: $299 for 90-minute turnaround and $149 for 24-hour turnaround.
• Test Well in Reno, Nevada, and South Lake Tahoe, California. Offers RT-PCR tests for travel with guaranteed same-day results. The cost is $149 for travel purposes (but you can file a claim with your insurance for reimbursement).
• Urgent Medical Care and MRI in Jersey City, New Jersey. Results in an hour or less only for travelers who need documentation. Cost: $300 out of pocket, not billed to insurance.
• Venistat Mobile Labs in New York, New York. Offers RT-PCR test results in less than 24 hours. Cost: $125 when using insurance, $190 without insurance.
• WeTestU in San Diego, California. Offers mobile RT-PCR testing for travel. Cost: $159 for 24-hour turnaround, $199 for 24-hour turnaround, $259 for same-day (eight hour) turnaround, $329 for one-hour turnaround.
• Worksite Labs offers PCR test results guaranteed within 24 hours near 20 U.S. airports. Cost: $90

COVID-19 testing at drugstores

If you're in a location without many COVID-19 testing sites, you may want to head to your neighborhood drugstore.

You'll notice several major chains on the list of where to get a COVID-19 test, including CVS , Walgreens , and Rite Aid . All of these often offer PCR testing at no additional cost if using insurance or if you fall under some federal programs for those without insurance.

Passport Health also has a network of clinics in over 100 locations nationwide, primarily for people who need a negative PCR test to fly or return to school.

Even better, you can make these appointments online, which may save precious time instead of waiting in a long line. Many of these locations also offer drive-up testing , where you swab yourself and don't need to leave your vehicle.

Turnaround times can vary by chain and location:

• CVS : Average turnaround time for receiving results from lab tests is one to two days for PCR tests.
• Walgreens : Turnaround time is based on when the sample arrives at the laboratory.
• Rite Aid : Turnaround time varies between 125 minutes to two to five days.

Also, several third-party companies partner with major cities like Houston and San Francisco on widespread testing. These companies, such as Color and Curative , offer results between one to three days.

City-provided COVID-19 testing

As the new variant spreads, more cities are handing out free COVID-19 rapid tests for residents.

New York City said it would distribute 500,000 free at-home COVID-19 tests as well as 1 million higher-grade KN95 masks to New Yorkers through community organizations. Residents in Washington, D.C. can pick up an at-home COVID-19 testing kit at select libraries throughout the city . And the White House has promised to distribute 500 million free rapid tests to Americans.

These tests generally won't be approved for travel but could provide peace of mind before (or during) your trip.

COVID-19 testing for children

Many destinations have dropped testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers . However, vaccinated adults traveling with unvaccinated kids may, in some instances, have different travel requirements. But many countries (even those with strict vaccination requirements) accept proof of a negative COVID-19 test for children ineligible to be vaccinated.

If you're trying to get a COVID-19 test for a child, many nationwide drugstores serve younger patients. CVS and Walgreens serve patients 3 years of age and older, while Rite Aid offers tests at no cost to anyone 4 and older.

But now, some kids may be able to bypass COVID-19 tests if they can be vaccinated, making it far less stressful to travel. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has officially been approved for kids 5 to 11 by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are only available to people 18 and older at this time.

At-home COVID-19 tests

The CDC expanded the testing program for international travel to the United States earlier this spring, allowing airlines to accept at-home instant tests that include remote supervision.

That's good news for U.S.-bound travelers who may not have many testing options at their location abroad . Travelers flying to the U.S. can use a self-test (sometimes referred to as a home test if it's a NAAT or antigen test with Emergency Use Authorization EUA from the FDA). The test must also have a telehealth service that provides real-time supervision. Here are several popular options:

• Abbott's BinaxNOW COVID-19 Home Test can be ordered from eMed or from Optum and is CDC-approved for travel to the U.S. There's a second Abbott rapid test you can buy at the drugstore, but it isn't proctored and can't be used for travel.
• Amazon's COVID-19 Test Collection Kit DTC has received EUA from the FDA and costs $39.99.
• Cue Health claims to offer results in just 20 minutes — and that it can detect the omicron variant . The test is authorized by the FDA for at-home use and can be used for travel purposes. The company offers two options for travelers: the Cue+ Essential membership, which starts at $49.99 (a more expensive option costs $89.99 per month) or a one-time purchase with a pack of three or 10 tests starting at $225.

Mail-in COVID-19 testing tests

There are many mail-in or in-home COVID-19 testing providers available. Some are not valid in certain states, and some are not available in all situations.

Most will not bill insurance for you, with Pixel being an exception to that general rule. Some mail-in tests are nasal swabs, while others are saliva samples. Some are only valid for adults, and others require a Zoom appointment. But, these are all the gold-standard PCR tests that are considered highly reliable.

A handful of these companies have partnered with various airlines and the state of Hawaii as approved providers, so this can be a legitimate testing option for travel to the state. If your airline has a mail-in testing partner valid for your travel destination, we recommend going through their system as it may get your sample prioritized in the lab's testing order.

Some mail-in COVID-19 testing programs include:

• Everlywell: Results of the nasal swab available within 24 to 48 hours of the lab receiving the sample. Available to people 18 and older only, and costs $82.
• Pixel by LabCorp : Results of the nasal swab are available one to two days after arriving back in the lab. Available to people 18 and older. There is no upfront cost, or $119 if you're not eligible for insurance or federal funds.
• Vault : Results of the saliva test taken via a Zoom call are available within 24 to 48 hours. The test is available to children and adults and costs $119.
• Azova : Available at Costco.com. The saliva test results, taken via a Zoom call, are available within 12 to 48 hours upon being received by the lab. This test is approved as part of Hawaii's trusted testing partner program and for travel to Bermuda and costs $118.99.
• OnSight Safe : Results of PCR saliva-based tests are available within 48 hours after being received by the lab; expedited processing is also available. Available for children and adults nationally. Physical testing locations are in New York City, Tampa and Van Nuys, California, and tests start at $127.95.

In-home COVID-19 tests

There are at-home COVID-19 tests, but did you know that some facilities offer a concierge service? You can have a testing provider come to your house, apartment or hotel and swab your nose.

In-home testing offers travelers the convenience of not having to wait in a line to get tested. (We're calling it in-home testing, but some facilities also provide testing at your office for large groups.)

Some of the most popular include Welz, which offers same-day in-home rapid testing in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles with a 15-minute turnaround. Even better: It's free with your health insurance or even if you're uninsured.

Generally, in-home tests and concierge services should be approved for travel purposes, as long as they meet the CDC's requirements and you get a physical or digital copy of your results. But you'll want to double-check you're taking an in-home COVID-19 test approved by your destination.

How long will test results take to arrive?

Most states or countries that require negative COVID-19 tests for entry (or entry without quarantine) use a 72-hour timeframe, from the test until either the time of your departure or arrival at the destination. Sometimes, however, the window is even shorter.

While there are exceptions, one to three days for COVID-19 test results seem standard nationwide.

You may need to research PCR testing locations that promise same-day results or provide rapid PCR tests analyzed on-site if the arrival of your test results could make or break your trip. Several facilities on the list below have previously reported delays in test results due to an increase in demand.

COVID-19 testing in airports

Many U.S. airports offer rapid COVID-19 testing to passengers or travelers on specific flights or heading to particular destinations. This could be a great option if you can drive to the airport to get a test a day or two ahead of your trip.

But we don't recommend waiting to get a test until your travel has already started, as isolating for at least two weeks at a connecting city will likely be an expensive hassle.

Some current airport testing centers available within the U.S. include:

• Anchorage International Airport : Testing at ANC is free for residents and nonresidents.
• Bradley International Airport : Open seven days per week. If the passenger's insurer does not cover the test, tests are available for $125 each. Results will most likely be available within 72 hours of testing but can take longer. Testing is only available to passengers traveling through Connecticut's Bradley Airport (BDL) on the day of their flight.
• Burlington International Airport : Testing is open to all at Vermont's BTV airport Monday through Friday, with appointments recommended and results available same-day or 36 to 48 hours. The test may have a fee .
• Dallas – Fort Worth International Airport : Those traveling on American Airlines can get a rapid test at DFW on the day of travel for $139, with results available in about 15 minutes.
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport : Testing is available between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Rapid PCR tests are $179, PCR tests are $106, and rapid antigen tests are $74. Rapid antigen test results are returned in about 30 minutes, rapid PCR tests are returned within 45 minutes, and PCR tests have a 48-hour turnaround.
• Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport: Tests through the Minnesota Department of Health and Vault Health are done with saliva, return results within 48 hours and are free for Minnesota residents and $94 for others. Tests through Wandertest include Antigen, NAAT and PCR tests and provide rapid results in less than an hour and range from $99 to $199.
• New York-LaGuardia : PCR testing is free with no appointments necessary in LGA's Terminal B parking garage, with results delivered by phone within 48 hours. However, this won't be very useful for travel verification purposes since the results are verbal.
• Oakland International Airport : OAK has two testing centers, one in the airport and a second drive-up location. Only passengers heading to Hawaii are encouraged to use this, though technically, any passenger can book the drive-up location. Appointments are required, and there is a $120 lab fee for expedited processing and a $20 administrative fee for Hawaii's mandated travel documentation.
• San Francisco International Airport : San Francisco-based travelers flying on United Airlines to Hawaii and select destinations in Central and South America and the Caribbean can arrange for a mail-in PCR COVID-19 test. Travelers will receive results in 24 to 48 hours, and the cost is $119.
• XpresCheck has many airport locations across the U.S. PCR tests are available by appointment or potentially via walk-up; costs vary. Rapid molecular NAAT tests are hand-delivered within 30 to 60 minutes for $200, insurance not accepted. Standard PCR tests will be delivered 48 to 96 hours for $75, and insurance is accepted for lab fees only. Rapid PCR tests are hand-delivered within 30 to 60 minutes for $250.

Hotels offering COVID-19 tests

Many hotels and resorts all over the world now provide on-site testing. If you're staying at a hotel, check to see if they offer on-site COVID-19 testing, as it's an extremely valuable amenity that can save you time searching for a test. In some cases, that test may also be free.

Related: Forget free breakfast: The hottest hotel amenity is a nasal swab

COVID-19 testing is required to enter the US

If you're traveling back to the United States from abroad, you need to provide a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding.

However, the White House significantly shrank the time window for testing in response to the omicron variant, which means travelers will need to arrange for COVID-19 tests sooner.

All travelers – vaccinated or not – must get a viral test within one day of departure to the U.S. Even if you've been vaccinated against COVID-19, you'll need to provide a negative test before boarding. There are several exemptions to this rule. Travelers flying back from U.S. territories, travelers arriving via a land border such as Mexico or Canada, and flight crew members do not need to present a negative COVID-19 test.

People who aren't vaccinated face extra testing and hurdles

More cities are following Europe's footsteps and testing out proof of vaccination mandates for certain activities. Some spots in Los Angeles, for example, require proof of vaccination to dine indoors, and New York City was the first U.S. city to establish a vaccine mandate.

The order went into effect on Aug. 17 for everyone 5 and older. Unvaccinated New Yorkers can no longer participate in many indoor activities, including indoor dining, indoor fitness and indoor entertainment.

Since then, cities like Chicago and Washington, D.C. , have also implemented vaccine mandates.

Vaccine passports

Travelers may want to use digital health or vaccine passports to enter certain countries or be exempt from strict testing and quarantine requirements. But vaccine passports aren't expected only to hold COVID-19 vaccine records. They can also be used to verify negative COVID-19 results.

For instance, New Yorkers can use the Excelsior Pass if they have had a negative PCR test administered in New York within three days; or took a negative antigen test in New York in the last six hours.

Clear's Health Pass feature is used to verify negative tests required at some sports arenas and approve tourists for quarantine-free travel to Hawaii. CommonPass is an independent app that collects a user's COVID-19 status and verifies their identity. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) also partners with dozens of airlines worldwide on its Travel Pass app , which hosts verified test and vaccine information.

City-by-city guide on where to get a COVID-19 test

Finding a reliable place to get a PCR COVID-19 test for travel with quick results can be challenging, depending on where you're located in the U.S.

Because things change so quickly, you'll need to contact the sites directly to confirm this information is still accurate. But to give you a headstart in your research, these testing facilities may meet your travel needs. If you encounter a location that should be added (or removed) from the list, or if you're a healthcare provider conducting PCR testing, please email [email protected].

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Atlanta, Georgia

Community Organized Relief Effort

• Various locations throughout Georgia, including Atlanta.
• Hours: Varies by location.
• Cost: Free.
• Appointment required: Walk-up and drive-thru testing available, all sites are subject to early closure once the 500-test daily maximum is reached.
• Turnaround time: Typically 72 hours.

Summit Urgent Care

• Various locations throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area.
• Cost: Accepts most insurance, no copay for virtual visits.
• Appointment required: No.
• Turnaround time: Three to five days.

Peachtree Immediate Care

• Hours: Drive-thru locations open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., though some locations are closed on weekends.
• Cost: For most insurance plans, there is no copay or deductible required; a $175 self-pay option is also available.
• Appointment required: Yes.
• Turnaround time: Typically three days.

Viral Solutions

• Cost: No out-of-pocket cost with insurance.
• Turnaround time: Two days.

ARCpoint Labs of Atlanta-Northeast

• 3635 Savannah Place Drive, Suite 450-B Duluth, Georgia
• Hours: Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Cost: $169 for lab-based PCR test, $249 for rapid PCR test; Self-pay option only
• Appointment Required: Yes, but same-day appointments are available.
• Turnaround Time: Less than two hours for a rapid PCR test, 48 hours is typical for lab-based PCR.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in the Bay Area, California

My Doctor Medical Group

• 450 Sutter Street Suite 840, San Francisco, California
• Cost: $240 for visit and swab collection, $125 lab fee for expedited next-day PCR results, $35 for customized additional travel documentation and certificates (in addition to lab report) if needed.
• Turnaround time: By 5 p.m. next day after collection.

McCampbell Analytical

• 1534 Willow Pass Road Pittsburg, California
• Hours: 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., seven days a week.
• Cost: Three-hour results are $699, five-hour results are $450, same-day results are $199 and next-day results are $129.
• Turnaround time: See above.
• Embarcadero site at Piers 30/32, Bryant and Embarcadero.
• Turnaround time: One to three days.

Alameda Health Systems

• Various locations throughout Alameda County.
• Cost: Covered by insurance.
• Turnaround time: Two to three days.

County of Santa Clara

• Various locations throughout Santa Clara County.
• Cost: No upfront cost.
• Turnaround time: Varies by location.

Downtown Medical Group

• 450 Sutter Street, Suite 1723 San Francisco, California
• Hours: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Cost: $225 for next-day turnaround, $300 for same-day turnaround.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Boston, Massachusetts

Tufts Medical Center

• 276 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts
• Hours: Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Cost: If insurance does not cover a test, the cost is $135.
• Turnaround time: 24 to 72 hours.

CareWell Urgent Care

• Cambridge Inman Square
• 1400 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• Hours: Open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Cost: Covered by insurance, or $160 if paying out of pocket.
• Turnaround time: Varies.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Charlotte, North Carolina

BetterMed Urgent Care – Charlotte

• Various locations throughout Charlotte.
• Cost: For those with commercial health insurance, the expected out-of-pocket cost for the medical evaluation and test is your copay. PCR medical evaluation and test will cost $159 plus outside lab costs in North Carolina for self-pay.

Carolina Pharmacy

• Various locations throughout Charlotte, North Carolina and Lancaster and Rock Hill, South Carolina
• Hours: Varies by location
• Cost: Rapid antigen is $89 and rapid RT-LAMP (Molecular/NAAT) is $145. RT-PCR (Molecular/NAAT) is $190. The expected out-of-pocket cost for the medical evaluation and test is your copay for those with commercial health insurance. PCR medical evaluation and test will cost $159 plus outside lab costs in North Carolina for self-pay.

StarMed Healthcare

• Cost: Covered at 100% for most insurance carriers, or $199 for self-pay. There's a $195 out-of-pocket fee for the lab rush.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Chicago

WellNow Urgent Care

• Various locations throughout Chicago.
• Hours: Open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Some locations offer extended hours from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Cost: Most insurance accepted, or patients can self-pay $100 plus the cost of the base visit and any other necessary services.

Howard Brown Health

• Turnaround time: Three to seven days.

Innovative Care

• 1111 W. Diversey Parkway, Chicago, Illinois
• Hours: Open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Cost: Covered by insurance, or you can self-pay $250 for the examination and COVID-19 test.
• Turnaround time: Two to four days.

Prime Care Physicians

• 1355 Remington Road, Suite Q, Schaumburg, Illinois
• Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Cost: $125 self-pay, most insurance accepted.
• Turnaround time: 24 to 48 hours.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Cleveland/Akron, Ohio

• Various locations throughout Cleveland.
• Cost: Most insurance accepted, or patients can self-pay $150 plus the cost of the base visit and any other necessary services.
• Turnaround time: Results available same or next day. Check testing times to receive same-day PCR results.

The Centers, Midtown Office

• 4500 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio
• Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Cost: No out-of-pocket costs for most patients. No insurance is required, and Medicaid and other insurance are accepted.
• Appointment required: Appointments are encouraged, with walk-ins available each day.
• Turnaround time: One to two days.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Columbus, Ohio

• Various locations throughout Columbus.
• Hours: Open seven days a week, hours vary by location.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

Ayass BioScience Drive-thru

• 8501 Wade Blvd Bldg 7 Frisco, Texas
• Hours: Hours are shown upon registration.
• Appointment required: Strongly preferred. Walk-ins are permitted but will require filling in paperwork on site.
• Turnaround time: Same-day results if collected by 2 p.m.

Real Time Laboratories

• 4100 Fairway Ct. Suite 600 Carrollton, Texas
• Hours: Open daily; see website for details.
• Cost: $125 to $250 depending on turnaround time.
• Turnaround time: Six to 48 hours, depending on the test.
• 4100 Fairway Drive, Suite 410, Carrollton, Texas
• Hours: Open Monday to Saturday; see website for details.
• Cost: Covered by insurance, except for travel requests.
• Turnaround time: Same-day or next-day results.

L&H Scientific

• 2801 Osler Drive, Building B, Suite 123, Grand Prairie, Texas, 75051
• Hours: Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Cost: Prices start at $275 to $425, depending on the turnaround time.
• Appointment required: Strongly encouraged. Same-day results require testing before noon.
• Turnaround time: Same-day to one-day.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Denver, Colorado

American Family Care Urgent Care

• Various locations throughout Denver.
• Cost: Most major insurance covered.

Advanced Urgent Care

• Hours: Seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Cost: Covered by most major insurance, PCR rapid test at Broomfield clinic is $125.
• Turnaround time: Same-day for a rapid PCR test, three to seven days for other tests.

Premier Diagnostics

• Hours: See site for details.
• Cost: Covered by insurance, the cost of the RT-PCR test is $125 if not covered.
• Turnaround time: Within 48 hours.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Detroit, Michigan

CVS Minute Clinic

• 1935 Campbell, Detroit, Michigan
• Hours: Pharmacy open until 8 p.m.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Houston, Texas

• Various locations throughout Houston.
• Hours: See the website for more information.
• Cost: No out-of-pocket cost when billed to your health plan or the government.

Any Test Now

• Hours: See website for details.
• Cost: $199.

Memorial Village ER

• 14520 Memorial Dr. Houston, Texas
• Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.‬ every day.
• Cost: $150 or insurance is accepted.
• Turnaround: Two to three days.

Rapid COVID Clinic

• Cost: $250.
• Appointment required: Appointments preferred, drive-ins accepted.
• Turnaround time: 36 to 48 hours.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Las Vegas, Nevada

• 546 N Eastern Ave Suite 130, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Cost: $120.

Cuur Diagnostics

• 3450 S. Maryland Pkwy Las Vegas, Nevada
• Hours: Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Cost: $125.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Los Angeles, California

COVID Clinic

• 124 locations in 15 states, with new locations and states added weekly. Also available at 13 airports including LAX, BUR and ONT.
• Hours: Generally 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. Location hours may vary.
• Cost: Free one- to two-day PCR available for the insured and uninsured (conditions apply). $299 for rapid one-hour result PCR test.
• Appointment required: Yes. Same-day appointments are available.
• Turnaround time: One to two days for expedited PCR test.

Reliant Urgent Care

• Various locations throughout Los Angeles.
• Cost: $195 for 24- to 36-hour turnaround, $175 for one-hour turnaround (not covered by insurance).
• Turnaround time: Depends on the level of service booked.

OnSite Safe

• 6411 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, California
• Hours: Monday to Saturday; see website for specifics.
• Costs: $164.
• Appointment Required: Yes,
• Turnaround time: Two days, next-day available with expedited processing for an extra cost.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Quality Health Care Concierge

• Drive-up address: 900 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Boca Raton Florida
• Hours: 24 hours, seven days a week.
• Cost: Partial coverage.
• Appointment required: Yes, for drive-up and in-home service.
• Turnaround time: Depends on service booked.
• 1425-A SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Cost: $179.
• Turnaround time: Next-day results.

Air Land Sea

• Sheltair FLL, 1100 Lee Wagener Boulevard, Suite 346, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33315
• Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Cost: With insurance, $75 for next-day results, $125 for same-day results. Without insurance, $175 for next-day results, $225 for same-day results. Four- to six-hour expedited results are $450.
• Appointment required: No, but appointments can be scheduled at covidFLL.com.
• Turnaround time: Same-day, next-day and four to six hours. Tests for same-day results must be administered before 11 a.m.

Miami-Dade County testing sites

• Various locations throughout Miami-Dade County.

American Scientific Diagnostics

• 1860 Old Okeechobee Road Suite 508, West Palm Beach, Florida
• Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Cost: $150 for next-day results, $250 for same-day results.
• Turnaround time: Depends on the test booked.
• 1515 NW 167th St Suite 410, Miami Gardens, Florida 33169
• Hours: Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Cost: $129 for home or office visit, or $89 per test when you drive up to the lab. Mention the discount code LABDX10PTSGUY for an exclusive $10 discount from TPG.
• Appointment required: Yes for concierge, walk-ins accepted at drive-up locations.
• Turnaround time: Within 24 to 36 hours.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota

• 3655 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Hours: By appointment.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in New York City and Newark, New Jersey

There are hundreds of testing sites across New York City, and you can also find pop-up mobile testing sites at different locations throughout the five boroughs. Not all of these will return COVID-19 test results in a timely enough manner for travel, however. Even the cited turnaround time may no longer be accurate.

• 34 West 36th St, New York, NY 10018
• Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, weekends 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Cost: $299 for an expedited RT-PCR with a three- to four-hour turnaround. Insurance can be used for a standard RT-PCR with 36- to 48-hour turnaround.
• Appointment required: Appointment not required.
• Various locations in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
• Cost: Accepts insurance or costs between $175 and $400.
• Turnaround time: Results in four to six hours.
• Various locations across New York City and the boroughs.
• Cost: CityMD is not collecting copayments for COVID-19 related visits.
• Turnaround time: Five to seven days.
• Location in Chelsea with home or office visits for groups of five people or more.
• Costs: $184.
• Appointment Required: No.
• Turnaround time: Two days, with next-day results available with expedited processing for an extra cost.

In-home COVID-19 testing programs include Zeel, which offers COVID-19 swab PCR testing in homes and offices administered by LPNs and RNs to the New York metro area. Available in New York City, Westchester County, Nassau County, North Jersey and Lower Fairfield County, Connecticut. Cost: $249 for the first person tested in-home plus $50 per additional person. Turnaround time: Results within 24 hours.

There are several free COVID-19 testing options available for Newark residents, with no appointment or insurance needed. Get more information here .

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Orlando, Florida

COVID Testing LLC

• Various locations throughout Orlando.
• Cost: With insurance, $35 for next-day results, $75 for same-day results. Without insurance, $115 for next-day results, $155 for same-day results.
• Turnaround time: Same or the next day. Tests for same-day results must be taken before noon.

Paramount Urgent Care

• Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Cost: Free for self-pay and insured patients, excluding Medicaid.
• Turnaround time: Three to four days.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Vybe Urgent Care

• More than 10 locations throughout the Philadelphia area.
• Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday to Sunday: 8 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Cost: Free PCR test, $75 rapid antigen test (self-pay only) and $100 rapid RT-PCR test (self-pay only).
• Appointment required: Yes, appointments for rapid testing are required. Appointments are not required for other testing options.
• Turnaround time: Rapid test results are available in less than 24 hours. Non-rapid test turnaround time is two to five days.

American Family Care (AFC) Urgent Care

• 1444 W. Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Cost: No charge for PCR tests with insurance.
• Appointment required: Yes, and telemedicine visit.
• 620 East Welsh Road, Horsham, Pennsylvania
• Hours: Open even days a week, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Cost: $165 for RT-PCR.
• Appointment required? Yes.
• Turnaround time: 24 hours for RT-PCR.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Various locations throughout Pittsburgh.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Portland, Oregon

• Various locations throughout Portland.
• Hours: Depends on location.
• Cost: Covered by insurance or lab fee of $100, as well as the cost of a virtual visit.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Sacramento, California

Anyone 18 years of age or older living in Sacramento County can ​get tested for COVID-19 for free after completing an online screening . COVID-19 testing will then be scheduled.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Salt Lake City, Utah

Intermountain Health

• Various locations throughout Salt Lake City.
• Hours: See site for individual location information.
• Cost: May vary if testing for travel versus symptoms or exposure.
• Turnaround time: 90% of tests are returned within 48 hours.
• Cost: Covered by insurance or $125 for RT-PCR test.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in San Antonio, Texas

• 4115 Medical Dr., Suite 210 San Antonio, Texas 78229
• Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST, Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.
• Cost: $125 RT-PCR for asymptomatic patients and travelers. Covered by insurance for symptomatic patients and noninsured symptomatic patients but need providers orders.
• Turnaround time: 24 to 48 hours; Same day turnaround if received by 11 a.m. CST.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Seattle/Tacoma, Washington

Discovery Health MD

• Two locations: DoubleTree Suites Southcenter and Seattle Airport.
• Cost: $176 for next-day RT-PCR test, $349 for one-hour RT-PCR test.
• Turnaround time: Same or next day, depending on what you booked.

Seattle testing locations

• Various locations throughout Seattle.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in St. Louis, Missouri

ARCpoint Labs

• 11255 Olive Blvd, Creve Coeur, Missouri
• Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Cost: $250 for same-day results.
• Turnaround time: Same day or 48 to 60 hours, depending on what you booked.

Where to get a COVID-19 test in Washington, D.C./Baltimore/Arlington

Farragut Medical & Travel Care

• 815 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, D.C.
• Hours: Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Cost: $300.
• Turnaround time: Two days for expedited testing, or two to five days.

Preston's Pharmacy

• Various locations in Arlington and Fairfax.
• Hours: Monday to Saturday, check the website for details.
• Cost: $45 for three- to five-day PCR testing, expedited processing available for an additional cost.
• Turnaround time: Three to five days, or faster with expedited processing.

McLean Pharmacy

• 1392 Chain Bridge Road, Mclean, Virginia
• Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m to 5 p.m.
• Cost: $200 for a 48-hour turnaround and $250 for a 24-hour turnaround.

Bottom line

While it has generally been getting easier to obtain a COVID-19 PCR test for travel purposes in some locations, turnaround times can still vary especially as the omicron variant spreads in the U.S. and demand for testing rises as a result.

That means if you need COVID-19 PCR test results in advance of a tight travel deadline, the safest bet is to use a provider that can guarantee same-day or next-day service. Some providers that initially guaranteed results in 24 or 48 hours have increased their turnaround times, in some cases up to seven days. However, these rapid PCR test options will cost extra and aren't always available.

A few providers have also indicated that several insurance companies won't cover COVID-19 testing for travel purposes, so keep in mind that you may have to pay out of pocket.

Some destinations will allow you to quarantine upon arrival until your test results arrive. Finally, if you do test positive (whether or not you are asymptomatic), you will need to be prepared to quarantine in place wherever you are for at least two weeks.

New York and Connecticut Drop Mandatory Quarantine; NJ Loosens Restrictions

After starting out as an early covid hot spot, the tri-state area is slowly reopening. here’s what to know if you plan to visit..

• Copy Link copied

Put that trip to the Finger Lakes back on the calendar—New York is dropping its mandatory quarantine.

Photo by Albert Pego/Shutterstock

This is a developing story. This article was last updated on April 8, 2021.

The lingering threat of COVID-19 in New York City is still very real—and emotions raw. You’ll see locals outside, be it in playgrounds or nursing a cold beer on the sidewalk, and they have masks on and hand sanitizer at the ready. Ask anyone from the city and they’ll rattle off names of people they know who’ve been sick with coronavirus; they themselves might have had it. Which is why the former COVID-19 epicenter of the world , and by extension, the state of New York, neighboring New Jersey, and Connecticut, have cautiously reopened in lockstep together with restrictions in place.

Here’s what you need to know about travel to the tri-state area.

Do I need to quarantine or get a COVID test when traveling to and from New York?

As of April 1, New York is dropping its mandatory quarantine rule for domestic travelers coming from any other U.S. state or territory, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced . “This is great news, but it is not an all-clear for New Yorkers to let their guard down,” Cuomo said in a statement. “To beat this virus once and for all we all must continue doing what we know works to stop the spread, including wearing masks, washing our hands, and practicing social distancing.”

The NYS Department of Health still recommends you quarantine: The most recent rules stated that on arrival in New York, you should quarantine for three days. On day four, get a COVID-19 test and if the results are negative, you may exit quarantine. International travelers still face mandatory quarantine on arrival in New York. All travelers have to fill out an information form when they arrive in New York that will assist with any necessary contact tracing. Read the full story on the new testing process—and what to do if your test comes back positive.

Anyone exposed to COVID-19 or returning from a trip should contiue to monitor for symptoms for 14 days.

Want to visit New Jersey? Check if you need to quarantine first

New Jersey continues to discourage nonessential interstate travel, but has modified its rules for some travelers . Quarantine and testing are no longer required if you have been fully vaccinated (two weeks after your final dose) or have recovered from COVID-19 in the past three months.

Any travelers who don’t meet the above criteria and are coming to New Jersey from a states other than New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware should consider taking a COVID-19 test one to three days before their trip and three to five days after. If they test positive they should self-isolate for at least 10 days; if they test negative, they will still be asked to quarantine for seven days after arrival. If travelers are unable to take a test, they should quarantine for 10 days after arrival.

Connecticut has lifted most travel restrictions

As of March 19, Connecticut’s travel restrictions are no longer mandatory . While travelers are not required to quarantine or provide a negative test when entering Connecticut, the state recommends following the CDC’s guidelines for safe travel , which include getting tested three to five days after arrival and quarantining for a full seven days.

You can find the latest rules and regulations on the COVID-19 sites for New York , New Jersey , and Connecticut .

How will the states enforce these travel restrictions?

Travelers coming into New York by air, bus, train, or car are required to fill out a Traveler Health Form prior to arrival to ensure they’re following the state’s quarantine protocols. Travelers must list their contact information and the address of where they plan to quarantine.

If you drive into New Jersey along one of its major highways (the NJ Turnpike or Garden State Parkway, for example), you may see a sign that advises you to call 511 for quarantine updates.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said his state wouldn’t set up checkpoints along the state’s borders “but that the Department of Health would pursue cases of noncompliance if it became aware of them,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer . Unvaccinated arrivals are also asked to complete an out-of-state traveler registration form .

In Connecticut, quarantine and testing is no longer mandated. Instead, the state is asking travelers to adhere to CDC recommendations.

What if I just drove or flew through a restricted state—do I still need to quarantine?

The travel advisory doesn’t apply to people passing through restricted states for a limited duration (less than 24 hours). If you’re stopping at a rest stop in a car, bus, or train, or you have a layover at an airport, you don’t need to self-quarantine, per New York and New Jersey .

For all states, it’s worth checking the latest COVID-19 information on their sites before booking anything, since the rules continue to change as vaccinations progress.

With reporting by Katherine LaGrave and Natalie Beauregard. Follow AFAR on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest travel news.

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What is COVID-19?

Who can get covid-19, can i travel if i recently had covid-19, what can travelers do to prevent covid-19, more information.

CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance has been updated. The content of this page will be updated soon.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. The virus spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets and small particles produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. The virus spreads easily in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor settings.

People with COVID-19 have reported a wide range of symptoms   – ranging from no or mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2–14 days after exposure to the virus. Possible symptoms include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, new loss of taste and smell, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Anyone can get COVID-19. However, some people are more likely than others to get very sick if they get COVID-19. These include people who are older, are  immunocompromised , or have certain  disabilities , or have  underlying health conditions .  Vaccination, past infection, and timely access to testing and treatment can help protect you from getting very sick from COVID-19.

Yes, you can travel once you have ended isolation . Check CDC guidance for additional precautions, including testing and wearing a mask around others. If you recently had COVID-19 and are recommended to wear a mask, do not travel on public transportation such as airplanes, buses, and trains if you are unable to wear a mask whenever around others.

Get  up to date  with your COVID-19 vaccines before you travel and take steps to protect yourself and others . Consider wearing a mask in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor areas, including on public transportation and in transportation hubs. Take additional precautions if you were recently exposed to a person with COVID-19. Don’t travel while sick.

If you have a  weakened immune system  or  are at increased risk for severe disease talk to a healthcare professional before you decide to travel.  If you travel, take multiple prevention steps to provide additional layers of protection from COVID-19, even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines. These include improving ventilation and spending more time outdoors, avoiding sick people, getting tested for COVID-19 if you develop symptoms, staying home if you have or think you have COVID-19, and seeking treatment if you have COVID-19.

Consider getting travel insurance in case you need medical care abroad .

Consider getting a COVID-19 test if you:

• Develop COVID-19 symptoms before, during, or after travel.
• Will be traveling to visit someone who is at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.
• Were in a situation with a greater risk of exposure during travel (e.g., in an indoor, crowded space like an airport terminal while not wearing a mask).

If you traveled and feel sick, particularly if you have a fever, talk to a healthcare professional, and tell them about your recent travel.

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COVID-19 Testing: What You Need to Know

• Make sure to test at the right time
• Choose the right type of test for your circumstance
• Follow test directions as recommended by FDA

If you do not, your results may be less likely to correctly indicate whether you have COVID-19 or not.

Types of Tests

• When to Get Tested

Choosing a COVID-19 Test

Getting a covid-19 test.

• Positive Test Result
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Testing for Antibodies

Viral tests look for a current infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by testing specimens from your nose or mouth. All tests should be performed following FDA’s requirements.

There are two main types of viral tests:

• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests
• Antigen tests

PCR tests are the “gold standard” for COVID-19 tests. They are a type of nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), which are more likely to detect the virus than antigen tests. Your sample will usually be taken by a healthcare provider and transported to a laboratory for testing. It may take up to 3 days to receive results.

Antigen Tests

Antigen tests* are rapid tests that usually produce results in 15-30 minutes. Positive results are very accurate and reliable. However, in general, antigen tests are less likely to detect the virus than PCR tests, especially when symptoms are not present. Therefore, a single negative antigen test cannot rule out infection. To be confident you do not have COVID-19, FDA recommends 2 negative antigen tests for individuals with symptoms or 3 antigen tests for those without symptoms, performed 48 hours apart. A single PCR test can be used to confirm an antigen test result.

*Self-tests, or at-home tests, are antigen tests that can be taken anywhere without having to go to a specific testing site. Read self-test package inserts thoroughly and follow the instructions closely when performing the test.

Read more: Self-Testing At Home or Anywhere

When to Get Tested for COVID-19

Key times to get tested:

If you have symptoms, test immediately..

• If you are only going to take a single test, a PCR test will provide a more reliable negative test result.
• If you use an antigen test, a positive result is reliable, but a negative test is not always accurate.
• If your antigen test is negative, take another antigen test after 48 hours or take a PCR test as soon as you can.

If you do not have symptoms but have been exposed to COVID-19, wait at least 5 full days after your exposure before taking a test.

• If your second antigen test is also negative, wait another 48 hours and test a third time.

Testing can be helpful even when you don’t have symptoms or a recent exposure to COVID-19, such as before an event or visiting someone at higher risk.  Test as close to the time of the event as possible (at least within 1-2 days) to help you make informed decisions about your health and your risk of spreading COVID-19 to others. If you use an antigen test, follow recommendations for repeat testing to be confident in a negative result. Additionally, some places may test people without symptoms or a recent exposure to help keep COVID-19 from spreading to others, especially those who are at higher risk for severe illness .

I am in a circumstance where I should get tested and:

You may choose a PCR or antigen test. If you use an antigen test and your result is negative, repeat testing following FDA recommendations .

30 days or less

I have symptoms Use an antigen test. Repeat negative tests following FDA recommendations .

I do not have symptoms Testing is not recommended to detect a new infection.

I do not have symptoms Use an antigen test. Repeat negative tests following  FDA recommendations .

After a positive test result, you may continue to test positive for some time. Some tests, especially PCR tests, may continue to show a positive result for up to 90 days. Reinfections can occur within 90 days, which can make it hard to know if a positive test indicates a new infection.  Consider consulting a healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns about your circumstances.

Buy self-tests (at-home tests)

Buy self-tests (at-home tests)  online or in pharmacies and retail stores. Private health insurance may reimburse the cost of purchasing self-tests. Visit FDA’s website for a list of authorized tests. Self-tests are antigen tests.

Go to a testing location

• Visit a community-based testing location , such as a pharmacy or health center near you. These locations may offer PCR or antigen tests, and provide low- or no-cost testing for everyone, including people without insurance. Free PCR or antigen tests may also be available through your local health department .
• Talk to a doctor or healthcare provider about other testing options that may be available to you.
• If you are a person with a disability, the Disability Information and Access Line can help you access a test or find a test location.

Interpreting Your Results

Any positive COVID-19 test means the virus was detected and you have or recently had an infection .

• Isolate and take precautions, including wearing a high-quality mask or respirator , to protect others around you from getting infected.
• Tell people you had recent contact with that they may have been exposed .
• Monitor your symptoms . If you have any emergency warning signs , seek emergency care immediately.
• You are more likely to get very sick if you are an older adult or have an underlying medical condition. Treatment is available. Talk with your healthcare provider to determine what is the best option for you.

A negative COVID-19 test means the test did not detect the virus, but this  doesn’t rule out that you could have an infection . If you used an antigen test, follow FDA recommendations for repeat testing .

• You may have COVID-19 but tested before the virus was detectable.
• Consider that you may have another viral infection or illness that you need to get tested for. For many diseases, including flu , early diagnosis and prompt treatment is very important for preventing severe illness.
• Take everyday preventive actions  to prevent spreading an illness to others.
• Contact a healthcare provider if you have any questions about your test result or if your symptoms worsen.
• If you do not have symptoms but were exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19, you should continue to take recommended steps after exposure .
• Continue to take steps to protect yourself and others , including monitoring for symptoms. Get tested again if symptoms appear.

Antibody tests detect antibodies that your body makes to fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Antibody tests should never be used to diagnose a current infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. An antibody test may not show if you have a current infection, because it can take 1 to 3 weeks after the infection for your body to make antibodies. Antibody tests can be used for public health surveillance or to test for conditions  associated with COVID-19.

Testing Resources for Healthcare Professionals: Healthcare Workers | Health Departments  | Labs

Search for and find historical COVID-19 pages and files. Please note the content on these pages and files is no longer being updated and may be out of date.

• Visit archive.cdc.gov for a historical snapshot of the COVID-19 website, capturing the end of the Federal Public Health Emergency on June 28, 2023.
• Visit the dynamic COVID-19 collection  to search the COVID-19 website as far back as July 30, 2021.

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COVID-19 international travel advisories

If you plan to visit the U.S., you do not need to be tested or vaccinated for COVID-19. U.S. citizens going abroad, check with the Department of State for travel advisories.

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. 
• As of June 12, 2022,  people entering the U.S. no longer need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test . 

U.S. citizens traveling to a country outside the U.S.

Find country-specific COVID-19 travel rules from the Department of State.

See the  CDC's COVID-19 guidance for safer international travel.

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Changes & cancellations, safety from the ground up, testing options, frequently asked questions.

Use this handy online tool to get real-time entry and travel requirements for your destination – based on your specific situation.

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• Stop clicking around. Find the latest travel rules and entry requirements and more all on this page.
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JetBlue customers have access to convenient testing at many of our airport terminals, including PCR testing at XpresCheck locations at Boston and Newark.

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Entry requirements

This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of the current rules for the most common types of travel. 

The authorities in the US set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the US Embassy or a consulate in the UK .

COVID-19 rules

There are no COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements for travellers entering the US.

Passport validity requirements

To enter the US, your passport must be valid for the length of your planned stay.

If you’re travelling through another country on your way to or from the US, check the entry requirements for that country. Many countries will only allow entry if you have at least 6 months validity remaining on your passport. 

Dual nationals  

US law requires US citizens to enter and exit the US using a US passport. Contact the US Embassy or a consulate in the UK for more information.

Visa requirements

To enter or transit through the US, you must have either an  Electronic System for Travel Authorisation ( ESTA ) visa waiver  or a visa .

The US State Department has more information on visas .

Applying for an ESTA visa waiver 

Apply for an ESTA visa waiver through US Customs and Border Protection. You can also apply using the ESTA Mobile app .

You cannot apply for an ESTA visa waiver if you have:

• been arrested (even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction)
• a criminal record
• been refused admission into, or have been deported from the US
• previously overstayed under an ESTA visa waiver

You cannot normally apply for an ESTA visa waiver if you were in the following countries on or after March 2011: 

• North Korea

You cannot apply for an ESTA visa waiver if you travelled to or were in Cuba on or after 12 January 2021. 

If you are not eligible for an ESTA , you must instead apply for a US visa.

Applying for a visa

The US Embassy in London has information on how to apply for a visa .

US visa appointments

Visa appointments at the US Embassy in London are limited. Plan your application as far ahead as possible before travel. If you need to travel urgently, you can request an expedited interview through the US Embassy’s appointment service provider.

The US Embassy has more information on visa appointments .

Children and young people

Anyone aged 17 and under must:

• have a valid visa or ESTA visa waiver on arrival
• be able to provide evidence about the purpose, location and length of their visit if asked by immigration officials
• have written consent from one or both parents if travelling alone, with only one parent, or with someone who is not a parent or legal guardian

The US authorities can stop you entering the country if they have safeguarding concerns about a child. If this happens, the US authorities will take the child into their care, and their return from the US could take months. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office ( FCDO ) cannot speed up the return of British nationals aged 17 and under from the US.

The US government has information about children travelling to the US . If you have questions, contact the US Embassy in the UK .

Vaccine requirements

For details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s US guide .

Customs rules 

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of the US . You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Global Entry programme

The US Customs and Border Protection programme Global Entry allows pre-approved travellers through border control faster at some US airports. If you’re a British citizen, you can  register to get a UK background check . If you pass the background checks, you’ll be invited to apply for Global Entry.

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Did you get a COVID test in the mail without ordering one? It might be a scam. What to do

A uthorities are tracking complaints from New Yorkers who received unsolicited COVID-19 test kits in the mail as historically costly pandemic-era fraud continues to threaten taxpayers and consumers.

Some of the scams involved rapid at-home COVID-19 test kits being mailed to Americans, while other fraudsters invite victims to send test kits back for lab results. The unsuspecting victims join millions of others impacted by the more than $300 billion in pandemic relief program fraud losses.

Many of the test kit fraudsters are targeting Medicare recipients in hopes of bilking the taxpayer-funded program. Some identity theft scammers also use the test mailings as a means to extract personal data and information, federal officials said.

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In some cases, once Medicare denies the bogus payment request, the scam companies come back to you, the unsuspecting consumer, with a bill in your name. While authorities make clear you should not pay the bill, the schemes could impact Medicare coverage and access to medical equipment you need.

What should you do if you receive unordered COVID-19 tests?

Scammers began sending out COVID-19 test kits before the pandemic public health emergency declaration ended last spring, cutting off federal funds that made free tests and other health services widely available.

Since then, authorities have issued consumer alerts about the unsolicited tests and launched investigations into those behind the fraud, federal officials said last week, responding to USA TODAY Network questions about New Yorkers receiving the kits.

Among the Federal Trade Commission tips for dealing with bogus kits and bills:

• Don’t pay the bill.  By law , companies can’t send you things you didn’t order and then demand payment.  If you get a bill like this, report it at  ReportFraud.ftc.gov .
• Check your Medicare Summary Notices and Explanations of Benefits to see if your account was billed.  Statements are available by mail or online at  Medicare.gov . Look for services, products, or equipment Medicare paid for that you didn’t get. Do the statements show any double charges, or things you or your doctor didn’t ask for?
• If you suspect Medicare fraud, call your health care provider or Medicare plan and ask for an explanation.  If you aren’t satisfied with their response, call your local  Senior Medicare Patrol  for help filing a report or call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE.

Our investigation of COVID fraud in NY: How pandemic-era fraud exploded in New York

What authorities are doing about unsolicited COVID tests

As reports of unsolicited tests hit last year, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, temporarily halted all payments for COVID-19 over-the-counter test kits on June 22.

Although the program resumed payments for these kits in September for claims submitted related to tests delivered during the pandemic public health emergency, CMS placed additional safeguards and edits in place to help prevent inappropriate payments, officials said in a statement.

More pandemic fraud: NY's COVID unemployment fraud topped $11B, partly due to system failures. What happened?

Providers have one year from the date of service to bill Medicare for payment. Providers cannot be paid for test kits provided after May 11, 2023, nor can they be paid for claims submitted outside of the one-year time limit, officials said.

CMS noted it continues to review and investigate complaints of abuse from this test kit program, officials added, and this includes working with law enforcement on fraud schemes that exploited the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal officials declined to discuss details of the investigatory process.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Did you get a COVID test in the mail without ordering one? It might be a scam. What to do

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Solar eclipse 2024: Follow the path of totality

Thinking of taking a last-minute drive to see the eclipse here's what to know.

Geoff Brumfiel

RV traffic sits at a standstill along a two-lane road near Madras, Ore., a few days before the 2017 total solar eclipse. Experts say traffic could be heavy, but eclipse watchers shouldn't necessarily be deterred. AFP Contributor/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

RV traffic sits at a standstill along a two-lane road near Madras, Ore., a few days before the 2017 total solar eclipse. Experts say traffic could be heavy, but eclipse watchers shouldn't necessarily be deterred.

NASA says that roughly 31.6 million people live in the path of this year's total solar eclipse, and a little under half of the U.S. population lives within 200 miles driving distance of the path of totality .

That could mean many millions of Americans will hit the road to get a better view on April 8. If you're still pondering whether or not you want to make the journey, here's what to consider.

Have some destinations in mind, and check the weather and cloud cover forecasts in advance

It's a good idea to scout out one or more locations within driving distance, so that you have some flexibility if traffic or weather is threatening your plans, says Jonathan Upchurch, a professor emeritus of civil engineering at Arizona State University who has studied travel around solar eclipses.

There are several interactive tools that show the path of totality, including Eclipse2024.org and the National Solar Observatory . You can use them to figure out what sites might work best for you.

In terms of weather, check not just the weather forecast, but also the cloud cover forecast. Some websites, such as Windy.com will predict cloud cover ahead of time, giving you a sense of whether you'll actually be able to see the eclipse in all its glory.

Everything you need to know about solar eclipse glasses before April 8

During the total solar eclipse in 2017, Upchurch says he chose to go to Idaho "because there were some great chances of having sunny skies, and I had the opportunity to be nimble and relocate if I wanted to."

Before driving into the path of totality, make sure your gas tank is full and that you've got everything you need

During the last total solar eclipse in 2017, it's estimated some 5 million people took to the roads, and those numbers will potentially be much higher this year.

Given all that, Upchurch says it's important to make sure you're taking what you need into the path of totality. You should make sure your car is gassed or charged up, and that you have plenty of snacks and water with you in case you get stranded for a while, especially when trying to leave.

Solar Eclipse 2024: Totality stretches from Texas to Maine

Simple tips to safely photograph the eclipse with your cellphone.

Also don't forget to bring eclipse glasses, which must be worn anytime you're looking at the sun, except for the few minutes when it is completely blocked by the moon.

Some state emergency planners also recommend bringing a paper map or road atlas in case cellular networks become overloaded with visitors seeking directions from their phones.

Don't forget your eclipse glasses everyone! Erika Goldring/FilmMagic hide caption

Don't forget your eclipse glasses everyone!

Arrive early and stay late

Once you figure out where you're going to watch the eclipse, and you've got your supplies, try to get there early. Although traffic is likely to be heavier than normal on the morning of eclipse day, it still should be possible to reach many destinations without too much hassle, says Upchurch.

"Leaving is definitely going to be more of a problem," he says. As the eclipse concludes, people will take to the roads all at once to try and get home as fast as they can. In 2017, that led to traffic jams that lasted many hours in some areas. If possible, Upchurch says, people should stay put for a while to try and avoid the worst of the post-eclipse rush, which in 2017 stretched even into the following day in some parts of the country.

Here's what time the eclipse will be visible in your region

And one more thing: If you do find yourself on the move near the time of the eclipse, state officials stress that you should not simply pull over to the side of the road or highway you're driving on. It's important to be parked legally and safely at the moment of totality.

If you're already in the path of totality: Relax and enjoy!

Several major metropolitan areas including Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Buffalo are already inside the path of totality, so there's no need to seek a better view, Upchurch says. You'll probably have the most fun simply staying where you are.

Shots - Health News

Watching a solar eclipse without the right filters can cause eye damage. here's why.

If you're on the edge of the path of totality, however, you might consider making a short trip to get closer to the center of the eclipse's path.

"If you're within about 40 miles of the center line, you'll have two-and-a-half minutes or more" of complete totality, Upchurch says. It's up to you to decide whether it's worth making the trip to a more central location.

Despite studying the potential hassles of traveling extensively, Upchurch says he's still looking forward to seeing the 2024 eclipse, which he plans to watch from Texas.

"Totality is absolutely spectacular," he says. "If you have a chance to witness it, I would do it."

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The Eclipse Chaser

As millions of americans prepare to see a total solar eclipse, a retired astrophysicist known as “mr. eclipse,” discusses the celestial phenomenon..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

Can you hear — Fred, can you hear me?

[DISTORTED SPEECH]:

The internet is a little wonky.

OK. Well, [DISTORTED SPEECH]: Arizona. So the internet speed here isn’t really fast.

I think we’re going to call — yeah, I think we’re going to call you back on a — for the first time in a really long time — a landline.

[PHONE RINGING]

Hey, Fred, it’s Michael Barbaro.

You can hear me OK?

I can hear you.

Perfect. So, Fred, where exactly am I reaching you?

I’m in Portal, Arizona, in a little community called Arizona Sky Village. And it’s a very rural community. So our internet and phone lines are not very good. And the nearest grocery store is 60 miles away.

Wow. And why would you choose to live in such a remote place with such bad internet?

Because the sky is dark. It’s like the sky was a hundred years ago before cities encroached on all of the country. I guess you’d call it an astronomy development. Mainly, amateur astronomers who have built homes here far from city lights for the express purpose of studying the sky.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

So it’s literally a community where once the sun goes down, it’s pitch black. And some, perhaps all of you, are stargazing?

Yes, exactly.

Well, I think I’m beginning to understand why you might have the nickname that you do. Can you just tell our listeners what that nickname is?

My nickname is Mr. Eclipse.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today’s total solar eclipse will be watched by millions of people across North America, none of them as closely as Fred Espenak, a longtime NASA scientist who’s devoted his entire life to studying, chasing, and popularizing the wonder that is an eclipse.

It’s Monday, April 8.

Fred, help me understand how you become Mr. Eclipse, how you go from being Fred to this seemingly very hard-earned nickname of Mr. Eclipse.

Well, I was visiting my grandparents at their summer home. And it was a partial eclipse of the sun back in the early 1960s. And I was a 10 - or 12-year-old kid. I got my parents to get me a small telescope. And I watched some of the partial phases. And it was really interesting.

And I started reading about eclipses. And I found out that as interesting as a partial eclipse is, a total eclipse is far more interesting. The moon is only 1/400 the diameter of the sun. It’s tiny compared to the sun. But it’s 400 times closer to the Earth. So it’s just this incredible coincidence that the moon and sun appear to be the same size in the sky. And once in a while, the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun. And you’re plunged into this very strange midday twilight.

But they’re limited to a very small geographic areas to see a total eclipse. And this little book I was studying had a map of the world, showing upcoming paths of total solar eclipses. And I realized that one was passing through North America about 600 miles from where I lived. And that eclipse was in 1970.

And I was reading about this in 1963, 1964. And I made a promise to myself that I was going to get to that eclipse in 1970 to see it because I thought it was a one chance in a lifetime to see a total eclipse of the sun.

So just to be very clear, you see a partial eclipse, and you immediately think to yourself, that was fine. But I need the real thing. I need a full eclipse. And you happen to find out, around this time, that a real eclipse is coming but in seven years.

Right. I mean, there were other eclipses between that time and seven years in the future. But they were in other parts of the world. And I couldn’t buy an airplane ticket and fly to Europe or Australia.

And by 1970, I’d been waiting for this. And by this point, I had just gotten a driver’s license. And I convinced my parents to let me drive the car 600 miles to get down into the path of totality to see this great event.

Wow. Wait, from where to where?

From Staten Island, New York, down to a little town in North Carolina.

How did you convince your parents to let you do that? I mean, that’s —

Well, I had seven years to work on it.

[LAUGHS]: Right.

And I was just a nerdy kid. I didn’t get into trouble. I was interested in science. I was out in the woods, studying frogs and wildlife and stuff. So this was just a natural progression of the type of things I would normally do.

Right. OK. So I wonder if you can describe this journey you end up taking from Staten Island. How does the trip unfold as you’re headed on this 600 mile?

So, I think, on March 6, 1970, it was a Friday. My friend and I left to drive to the eclipse path. We probably got on the road probably at 5:00 AM because it was going to be a very long day.

And we’ve got a detailed map in the car, which I’ve plotted the eclipse path on. And we’re just trying to get far enough south to get into the path of the eclipse, which for us is easternmost Virginia or Eastern North Carolina. And I drive and drive and drive all day long. Very long day.

We get down to North Carolina right about maybe 6:00 PM. And we just see this little town in North Carolina that we’re driving through. And it happens to have a convenient motel right in the center of the path. And that was good enough. Got a room available. And we check in. And that’s where we’re going to watch the eclipse from.

And the next morning was eclipse day. It was a bright, crisp, sunny morning. There weren’t any clouds at all in the sky. And I was amazed that outside the back of the motel, in this grassy field, there were dozens and dozens of people with telescopes out there, specifically there for the eclipse that morning.

We were really excited about this. We set up our — my telescope. And we had another camera set up to watch it. And we walked around and marveled at some of the other people and their telescopes and discussed the eclipse with them. And the eclipse started probably around noon or 1:00 in the afternoon.

Describe the actual event itself, the eclipse. How did it begin?

Well, all solar eclipses begin as a partial eclipse. And the sun is gradually covered by the moon as the moon takes larger and larger pieces out of the sun, as it slowly crawls across the sun’s surface. And you don’t really notice much going on with a naked eye.

It’s really only in the last 10 minutes or so that you start to notice changes in the environment because now enough of the sun has been covered, upwards of maybe 90 percent of the sun. And you start to notice the temperature falling. There’s a chill in the air.

Also, since so much of the sun is covered, the daylight starts to take on an anemic quality. It’s weak. The sun is still too bright to look at. But the surroundings, the environment is not as bright as it was a half hour earlier.

You start to notice animals reacting to the dwindling sunlight. They start acting like it’s sunset. And they start performing some of their evening rituals, like birds roosting, perhaps calling their evening songs. And plants start closing up and the dropping sunlight. And then the dropping temperatures.

And there’s an acceleration now of all these effects. The temperature drop, the drop in the sunlight, it starts happening faster and faster and getting darker and darker. And maybe about a minute before the total eclipse began, we noticed strange patterns on the ground beneath us, on the grassy field that we were on — these ripples racing across the field. And these are something called shadow bands.

They look a lot like the rippling patterns that you would see on the bottom of a swimming pool, bands of light and dark, and moving very quickly across the ground. The sky is — it’s a dark blue. And it’s getting darker rapidly in this dwindling sunlight. And you go from daylight to twilight in just 10 or 20 seconds. It’s almost like someone has the hand on the rheostat and turns the house lights down in the theater.

You just see the light just go right down.

And the sky gets dark enough that the corona, the outer atmosphere of the sun, starts emerging from the background sky. This ring or halo of gas that surrounds the sun, and it’s visible around the moon, which is in silhouette against the sun. And along one edge of the moon is this bright bead of sunlight because that’s the last remaining piece of the sun before it becomes total.

And this is the diamond ring effect because you’ve got the ring of the corona and this dazzling jewel along one edge of it. You only get to see this for 10 or 15 seconds — it’s very fleeting — before the moon completely covers the sun’s disk. And totality begins. Suddenly, you’re in this twilight of the moon’s shadow.

And you look around the horizon. And you’re seeing the colors of sunrise or sunset 360 degrees around the horizon because you’re looking out the edge of the moon’s shadow. And looking back up into the sky, the sun is gone now. And you see this black disk of the moon in silhouette surrounded by the sun’s corona.

Maybe this says more about my nature than anything else, but what you’re describing, a little bit, feels like the end of the world.

Well, I think, when you see this all transpire, you can easily understand how people thought this was the end of the world because it seems far outside of the realms of nature. It seems supernatural. So you can see how people panicked that didn’t understand what was going on.

That was not your reaction?

No. I think it’s a sense of belonging — belonging to this incredible universe, both belonging and a humbleness that how minuscule we are. And yet we’re a part of this fantastic cosmic wheel of motion in the solar system. You almost get a three-dimensional sense of the motions of the Earth and the moon around the sun when you see this clockwork displayed right in front of you, this mechanics of the eclipse taking place.

It almost lifts you up off the planet, and you can look back down at the solar system and see how it’s all put together. And you’ve only got to, in that case — in that particular eclipse, it was only 2 and 1/2 minutes to look at this.

Wow. It’s kind of a clock in your head, saying, you don’t have much of this.

You don’t have much of it. And it almost seems like time stops.

And at the same time, all of a sudden, the eclipse is over. Those 2 minutes just raced by. And it’s over. All of a sudden, the diamond ring forms again on the opposite side of the moon, as the sun starts to become uncovered at the end of totality. And the diamond ring appears. It grows incredibly bright in just a few seconds. And you can’t look at it anymore. It’s too bright. You’ve got to put your filters back on and cover your telescope with a solar filter so it doesn’t get damaged. And you’re trembling because of this event.

Everybody was cheering and shouting and yelling. I mean, you would have thought you were at a sports game, and the home team just scored a touchdown. Just everybody screaming at the top of their lungs. And I immediately started thinking that this can’t be a once in a lifetime experience. I’ve got to see this again.

We’ll be right back.

OK. So, Fred, it’s the early 1970s. And you are not Mr. Eclipse yet. You’re just a kid who felt something very big when you watched an eclipse. So how did you end up becoming the premier authority that you now are on eclipses?

Well, after that 1970 eclipse, I started looking into upcoming solar eclipses so I could get a chance to see the sun’s corona again. And the next total eclipse was in Eastern Canada in July of 1972. And I started thinking about that eclipse. And by then, I was going to be in college.

And I started planning because that one was still something I could drive to. It was 1,200 miles instead of 600 miles.

So the summer of 1972 rolls around. And I drove up to the eclipse in Quebec to see totality and was unfortunately clouded out of the eclipse. I saw some of the partial phases. But clouds moved in and obscured the sun for that view of the sun’s corona.

You were robbed.

I was robbed. And I realized, well, I’ve got to expand my outlook on what’s an acceptable distance to travel to see a total eclipse because the next total eclipse then, in 1973, was through the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa. So I traveled to the Sahara desert for the eclipse, where we had decent weather, not perfect but decent weather. And we got to see totality there.

You saw totality in the desert?

In the desert. In the Sahara Desert. After that, it was just trying to get to every total eclipse I possibly could get to.

At this point, you’re clearly starting to become an eclipse chaser. And I don’t even know if such a thing existed at that moment.

Yeah. I don’t know if it was called that then, but certainly, yeah.

And if you’ll permit me a question that might seem maybe dopey to someone in your field, after you’ve seen one or two or three of these, do they start to blend in together and become a little bit the same?

Not at all. Each one is distinctly different. The sun itself is dramatically different. The sun’s corona is different at each eclipse because the corona is a product of the sun’s magnetic field. And that magnetic field is changing every day. So the details, the fine structure in the sun’s corona is always different. So every eclipse is dramatically different. The appearance of the sun’s corona.

Right. If you look at one Renoir, it’s not the same as the next one. You’re describing the corona of each eclipse as its own work of art, basically.

Exactly. Yeah.

So as you’re chasing these eclipses around the world, what is the place of an eclipse in your day-to-day academic studies and, soon enough, your professional work?

So I went to grad school at University of Toledo and did some work at Kitt Peak National Observatory, learning the ins and outs of photometric photometry — that is, measuring the brightness of stars. And eventually, this led to a job opening at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

And I got interested in the idea of predicting eclipses and started studying the mathematics of how to do this. And I took it over unofficially and started publishing these technical maps and details. And we published about a dozen books through NASA on upcoming eclipses. People would just write me a letter and say they wanted a copy of the eclipse bulletin for such and such an eclipse. And I would stuff it in an envelope and mail it to them.

So you take it upon yourself to make sure that everyone is going to know when the next eclipse is coming?

And no doubt, during this period, you keep going to each and every eclipse. And I wonder which of them stand out to you.

Well, I’ve seen total eclipses from Australia, from Africa, from the Altiplanos in Bolivia, from the ice sheet on the coast of Antarctica, and even from Northern China, on the edge of the Gobi Desert. But one of the most notable eclipses for me was I traveled to India to see a 41-second eclipse, which was very short. And besides seeing a great eclipse in India, I also met my future wife there. She was on the same trip.

I have to hear that story.

Well, she had been trying to see a total eclipse for about 25 years.

She tried to see the 1970 eclipse. But her friends who were going to drive down from Pennsylvania down to North Carolina talked her out of it at the 11th hour.

They talked her out of seeing the same eclipse that was your first total eclipse that was so important to you?

Yes. And they talked her out of it because from Pennsylvania, they were going to have maybe a 90 percent eclipse. They didn’t know any better. They thought that was good enough. And she regretted that decision.

So then she said, OK, well, I’ve got to get to the next total eclipse, which was in Quebec in 1972, the same one that was my second eclipse. And we were probably within five miles of each other in Quebec. And we were both clouded out. Then she was married. She was raising kids. She got busy with domestic life for 20 years. She became a widow.

So now, 1995, there’s this 41-second eclipse in India that is very difficult to get to. It’s halfway around the world. But she’s still itching to see a total eclipse. And we joined the same expedition, a travel group, of 30 eclipse chasers and end up in India for the eclipse. And we have fantastic weather. It’s perfect.

She was in tears after totality. She had been waiting so long to see it. And we struck up a friendship on that trip. By the time the 1998 eclipse was taking place in the Caribbean, at that point, we were together. That was our first eclipse to observe as a couple. I think our wedding cake had a big eclipse on the top of the cake.

[LAUGHS]: Perfect.

We made a music CD for the wedding that we played during the reception. And of course, all the music on the CD had sun and moon themes to it.

Nothing I can say, a total eclipse of the heart

Of course, we had “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” It was a must-have.

Had to. Had to.

It strikes me, Fred, that eclipses are such an organizing principle in your life. Your life seems to literally orbit around them. When you were a kid, you started planning for them years in advance. This work becomes central to your career. It’s how you meet your wife.

And you said, when I asked you, about each eclipse that they’re all different. And obviously, you’re different at each eclipse because time has passed. Your life has changed. And it just feels like your life is being lived in a kind of ongoing conversation with this phenomenon of the sun and the moon overlapping.

Well, the eclipses are like benchmarks that I can use to figure out what else was going on in my life during these times, because I remember the dates of every single eclipse I’ve been to. And if I see a photograph of the solar corona shot during any particular eclipse, I know what eclipse that was. I can recognize the pattern of the corona like a fingerprint.

That’s amazing.

And I the year of the eclipse. It reminds me of when Pat and I got married and between which eclipse we were getting married and had to plan our wedding so it didn’t interfere with any kind of eclipse trips.

And they just serve as benchmarks or markers for the rest of my life of when various eclipses take place. So they’re easy for marking the passage of time.

So we are, of course, talking to you a few days before this year’s eclipse, which I cannot fathom you missing. So where are you planning to watch this total eclipse?

Pat and I are leaving for Mazatlán, Mexico, actually tomorrow. And we’ve got about 80 people joining us down in Mazatlán for this eclipse in our tour group.

And for you, of course, this year’s eclipse is just the latest in a very long line of eclipses. But I think, for the rest of us — and here, I’m thinking about myself — this is really going to be my first total eclipse, at least that I can remember. And for my two little kids, it’s absolutely going to be their first.

And given the hard-earned wisdom that you’ve accumulated in all your decades of chasing eclipses around the world, I wonder if you can give us just a little bit of advice for how to best live inside this very brief window of a total solar eclipse, to make sure, not to be cliche, but that we make it count.

Well, I think one mistake that people tend to make is getting preoccupied with recording everything in their lives, what they had for lunch, what they had for dinner. And seeing the eclipse is something that you want to witness firsthand. Try to be present in seeing the eclipse in the moment of it. So don’t get preoccupied with recording every instant of it.

Sit back and try to take in the entire experience because those several minutes pass by so rapidly. But you’ll replay them in your mind over and over and over again. And you don’t want technology getting between you and that experience. And remember to take your eclipse glasses off when totality begins. Note how dark it gets during totality.

Take the glasses off because?

Well, the glasses protect your eyes from the sun’s bright disk. But when totality begins, the sun’s bright disk is gone. So if you use your solar eclipse glasses to try to look at the corona, you won’t see anything. You’ll just see blackness. You’ve got to remove the eclipse glasses in order to see the corona. And it’s completely safe.

And it’s an incredible sight to behold. But during totality, you just want to look around without the glasses on. And take in the sights. Take in the horizon, 360 degrees, surrounding you with these twilight colors and sunset colors.

You’ll easily be able to see Jupiter and Venus shining on either side of the sun during totality. And look at the details in the sun’s corona, fine, wispy textures, and any possible red prominences hugging against the moon’s disk during totality.

And let’s say it’s now the moment of totality, and you, Mr. Eclipse, can whisper one thing into someone’s ear as they’re watching. What would you say to them?

Enjoy. Just take it all in.

Well, Fred, thank you very much. We really appreciate it.

No, thank you. I hope everybody has some clear sky.

After today, the next total solar eclipse to be visible from the continental United States will occur 20 years from now, in 2044. In other words, you might as well watch today’s.

Here’s what else you need to know today. Israel has fired two officers in connection with the deadly airstrike on aid workers from the World Central Kitchen who were killed last week while delivering food to civilians in Gaza. In a report released on Friday, Israel blamed their deaths on a string of errors made by the military. The airstrike, Israel said, was based on insufficient and incorrect evidence that a passenger traveling with the workers was armed.

Meanwhile, Israel said it withdrew a division of ground troops from Southern Gaza on Sunday, leaving no soldiers actively patrolling the area. The move raises questions about Israel’s strategy as the war drags into its sixth month. In particular, it casts doubt on Israel’s plans to invade Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, an invasion that the United States has asked Israel not to carry out for fear of large-scale civilian casualties.

Today’s episode was produced by Alex Stern and Sydney Harper, with help from Will Reid and Jessica Cheung. It was edited by Devon Taylor; fact-checked by Susan Lee; contains original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Corey Schreppel; and sound design by Elisheba Ittoop and Dan Powell. It was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Anthony Wallace.

[THEME MUSIC]

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

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Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Produced by Sydney Harper and Alex Stern

With Will Reid and Jessica Cheung

Edited by Devon Taylor

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Marion Lozano ,  Elisheba Ittoop and Corey Schreppel

Sound Design by Elisheba Ittoop and Dan Powell

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Today, millions of Americans will have the opportunity to see a rare total solar eclipse.

Fred Espenak, a retired astrophysicist known as Mr. Eclipse, was so blown away by an eclipse he saw as a teenager that he dedicated his life to traveling the world and seeing as many as he could.

Mr. Espenak discusses the eclipses that have punctuated and defined the most important moments in his life, and explains why these celestial phenomena are such a wonder to experience.

On today’s episode

Fred Espenak, a.k.a. “Mr. Eclipse,” a former NASA astrophysicist and lifelong eclipse chaser.

Background reading

A total solar eclipse is coming. Here’s what you need to know.

Millions of people making plans to be in the path of the solar eclipse on Monday are expecting an awe-inspiring. What is that feeling?

The eclipse that ended a war and shook the gods forever.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Fact-checking by Susan Lee .

Special thanks to Anthony Wallace.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Corey Schreppel leads the technical team that supports all Times audio shows, including “The Daily,” “Hard Fork,” “The Run-Up,” and “Modern Love.” More about Corey Schreppel

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