CPA: We will have to open up borders to travelers

With the new international air policy that was recently implemented for the entire United States, including the CNMI, the Commonwealth Ports Authority says the CNMI has to expect that it will open up its borders to international travelers soon.

According to CPA chair Kimberlyn King-Hinds, the announcement and change in rules by the U.S. Department of State is a clear indication that the United States’ borders are open to travelers, provided that they are fully vaccinated.

“This should not come as a surprise to anyone. The CNMI has reached a certain percentage of vaccination level where we have to expect that we will have to open up. The message from the U.S. President and our governor has always been get vaccinated for our personal and our community’s protection so that we can start resuming a new normal way of life,” she said.

The CPA chair said the CNMI has been preparing for this since it closed its borders over a year ago.

“We have been preparing for this day since the day we shut down. At this point, It’s not about the number of positives. It’s about being vaccinated and continuing the safety practices. We are going to have to open up. We are going to have to join the rest of the world opening up. We are the best in the nation in terms of response, let’s be the best in the nation opening up,” she said.

King-Hinds said what this new policy essentially means for the CNMI is that it can start thinking of allowing more airline carriers to enter the CNMI.

“The new travel requirements are not within the purview of CPA’s authority. They are determined by our federal partners, in consultation with health authorities to ensure the safety of the traveling public and the community in general. What this means for CPA specifically is the potential for more air carriers requesting to come to the CNMI. We have multiple carriers requesting to come. CPA does not have the authority to deny such requests provided that the carriers meet all DOT, FAA and CPA regulatory requirements,” she said.

According to the U.S State Department’s website, starting last Nov. 8, foreign national air travelers to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to fly to the United States, with limited exceptions. This means foreign nationals are now required to provide their COVID-19 vaccination record before boarding airlines headed for the entire United States.

The State Department website said the new travel policy is stringent, consistent across the globe, and guided by public health.

The new policy means that if you are not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or traveling to the United States on an immigrant visa, you will need to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before you travel by air to the United States from a foreign country.

Some categories of noncitizen, nonimmigrants are exempted from this requirement but, nevertheless, all air passengers aged 2 or older, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status, must show a negative result of a COVID-19 viral test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board any flight to the United States.

To further strengthen protections, unvaccinated travelers—whether U.S. citizens, LPRs, or the small number of excepted unvaccinated foreign nationals—will now need to show documentation of a negative viral test from a sample taken within one day of travel to the United States.

Fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and LPRs are not exempted from the negative test requirement. However, they are allowed to provide a negative test from within three days prior to boarding their flight.