U.S. CDC: Vaccinated people can resume travel at 'low risk'

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday said fully vaccinated people can safely travel at "low risk", after the agency had held off for weeks on revising guidance that discouraged all non-essential trips.

The announcement lifting the agency's guidance that all Americans should avoid non-essential travel should be a shot in the arm for a U.S. travel industry still struggling since the COVID-19 crisis began in early 2020. The new CDC guidance specifically greenlights vaccinated grandparents getting on airplanes to see grandchildren. A group representing major U.S. airlines including American Airlines, Delta Air lines, United Airlines Southwest Airlines and other trade groups had urged the CDC on March 22 to immediately update its guidance to say "vaccinated individuals can travel safely." Air travel still remains down 43% from pre-COVID levels and business and international travel remain even harder hit.