Novel Coronavirus

CDC Guidance for international travel to Guam, USA

On January 12, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an Order requiring all air passengers arriving to the US from a foreign country to get tested no more than 3 days before their flight departs and to present the negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight.

Air passengers will also be required to confirm that the information they present is true in the form of an attestation. This Order is effective as of 12:01am EST (5:01am GMT) on January 26, 2021.

Passengers must be tested with a viral test that could be either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).

Read more: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

NEW QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAVELERS ENTERING GUAM

EFFECTIVE 12:01 AM, SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2021

• QUARANTINE FOR INCOMING UNVACCINATED TRAVELERS. Pursuant to applicable law and the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) Guidance, all incoming travelers shall be subject to 10-day quarantine at a government facility regardless of pre-arrival COVID-19 test results, except as provided herein:

• INDIVIDUALS WITH IMMEDIATE PROOF OF COVID-19 VACCINATION: Those who are fully vaccinated with a U.S. FDA authorized COVID-19 vaccine (i.e. Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson/Janssen) may be exempt from quarantine. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine. Those seeking exemption from quarantine must present:
  • Photo identification (e.g. passport, driver’s license, state-issued identification);
  • COVID-19 vaccination record card, which includes the patient name, date of birth, vaccination date(s), and the brand of COVID-19 vaccine administered; 
  • Secondary form of COVID-19 vaccine verification such as
    • Vaccinating health authority record, vaccinating provider letter, receipt of COVID-19 vaccine administered or another form of secondary verification, to be approved at the reviewing officer’s discretion
    • NOTE: Individuals vaccinated in Guam, whose vaccination information are verifiable utilizing the WebIZ Application will not be required to present a secondary form of vaccine verification.
  • Declaration of Individual Attesting to COVID-19 Vaccination, signed under penalty of perjury

• INDIVIDUALS WITH A PREVIOUS COVID-19 INFECTION: Those who have contracted and recovered from COVID-19 within the three (3) months preceding their arrival in Guam, and who show no symptoms of infection may be eligible for exemption from quarantine, provided that they present
  • Photo identification (e.g. passport, driver’s license, state-issued identification);
  • Valid positive COVID-19 PCR test result collected between 10 to 90 days prior to arrival; 
  • Valid negative COVID-19 PCR test result collected within 10 days prior to arrival and a subsequent clearance from a physician, clinic or health department.

• RESIDENT AIRLINE CREW MEMBERS AND FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION STAFF: Must adhere to the general protocols outlined by their employer, designed to mitigate COVID-19 transmission, must observe social distancing, wear face coverings and practice proper hand-washing etiquette; and are not required to quarantine or undergo COVID-19 testing. Must adhere to any Executive Order currently in place for Guam as it pertains to the Public Health Emergency, and must self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, and immediately notify their primary healthcare provider if symptoms develop.

• PROTOCOLS FOR EXEMPTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF GUAM QUARANTINE FACILITY (QFac):
  • ​​UNACCOMPANIED MINORS: An unaccompanied minor arriving in Guam without proof of a US FDA authorized COVID-19 vaccination shall complete a 10-day quarantine period at the rental lodging or personal residence identified by the parent, legal guardian, or authorized representative who presents at the airport to assume responsibility of the minor. Such parent, legal guardian, or authorized representative must meet the minor at the airport and provide photo identification in order to receive the minor. In the event that an unaccompanied minor is not received at the airport by a parent, legal guardian, or authorized representative, DPHSS Child Protective Services will be notified. The parent, legal guardian, or authorized representative has the option to have the unaccompanied minor tested for COVID-19 on day 6 after arrival to qualify for an abbreviated quarantine period. DPHSS will contact the parent, legal guardian, or authorized representative to arrange for testing. Negative COVID-19 test results allow the minor to end their quarantine period, subject to symptom monitoring for 14 days after arrival via Sara Alert.

• ACCOMPANIED MINORS: For parents, legal guardians, or authorized representatives traveling with minors, all adults and minors must have proof of US FDA authorized COVID-19 vaccination to receive a quarantine exemption. In the event parents, legal guardians, or authorized representatives of such minor have proof of US FDA authorized COVID-19 vaccination, but the minor does not, the minor will be required to quarantine at a residence identified by the parent, legal guardian, or authorized representative for 10 days.

• NON-RESIDENT AIRLINE CREW/FAA STAFF: Must adhere to the general protocols outlined by their employer, must self-quarantine within their personal residence or rental lodging for 10 days and must comply with symptom monitoring for the duration of their stay via Sara Alert. Non-resident airline crew and FAA staff may only leave the quarantine location to perform all official duties necessary to maintain critical air transportation services for Guam, purchase groceries, exercise outdoors, pick up curbside/drive-through food services, and for medical emergencies and medical appointments.

• VESSEL CREW MEMBERS: Crew names must be provided to DPHSS at least 24 hours prior to arrival in Guam by an authorized local vessel agent/employer, a representative of the authorized local vessel agent/employer must be present to provide transportation or have made arrangement with the Department of Public Works to provide transportation of the vessel crew member to the approved rental lodging or personal residence, the vessel crew member must transit to a scheduled vessel or flight departing within 72 hours of arrival in Guam, and the vessel crew member must present an acceptable negative COVID-19 test result collected within 72 hours of arrival in Guam.

• MEDICAL REFERRALS: Medical Referral Passengers (MRP) who are not fully vaccinated or do not present documentation of a previous COVID-19 infection may qualify for quarantine at an approved rental lodging or personal residence with Restriction of Movement (ROM) guidelines allowing MRPs to leave their quarantine location to attend medical appointments. 
  • Such MRPs must meet the following criteria: 
    • the MRP must submit a request to quarantine at an approved rental lodging or personal residence to DPHSS at dphss.guam.gov/quarantine prior to arrival; 
    • such request must contain supporting documentation, including a medical referral from a referring healthcare provider; 
    • the MRP must present an acceptable negative COVID-19 test result collected within 72 hours of arrival in Guam. If test results are not provided, the individual must agree to schedule and receive a COVID-19 test within 24 hours of arrival. 
  • Individuals with serious or acute medical conditions who do not have a medical referral to receive care on Guam should submit a request at dphss.guam.gov/quarantine prior to arrival.
  • Emergency medical requests may be considered on a case-by-case basis at the port of entry. The individual will be required to provide supporting documentation for verification of the circumstances.

• EMERGENCY HARDSHIP (EH): Must go directly from the airport to a Government of Guam QFac, must agree to be assessed by the Medical, Behavioral Health, or Public Health staff at the Government of Guam QFac to determine necessary services, which may include an option to leave quarantine on a time-limited basis for a specific EH event/activity or transfer to home quarantine, must provide documentation and information regarding the emergency/hardship to Medical, Behavioral Health, or Public Health staff, and must receive a negative COVID-19 test result (post-arrival). Government of Guam QFac Medical, Behavioral Health, and Public Health staff will determine whether a person’s emergency/hardship situation qualifies for an option to leave quarantine for a time-limited activity or transfer to home quarantine on a case-by-case basis.

• DOD-AFFILIATED PERSONNEL:
  • Active duty military and dependents, DoD civilians and dependents, and DoD contractors who are on the Joint Task Force listing at the point of entry will follow quarantine guidelines and restriction of movement as established by the DoD.
  • Active duty military and dependents, DoD civilians and dependents, and DoD contractors who are not on the Joint Task Force listing at the point of entry will follow the arriving passengers protocols for the general public.
  • Active duty military, DoD civilians, and DoD contractors assigned to visiting units who are fully vaccinated but cannot obtain a negative COVID-19 test due to military mission requirements may still be exempt from quarantine where a cognizant DoD medical officer verifies that such personnel have been embarked at sea or otherwise in a sequestered environment for greater than 14 days and are asymptomatic for the COVID-19 virus.
  • Active duty military and dependents, DoD civilians and dependents, and DoD contractors with any questions or concerns regarding applicable military regulations should contact the Naval Base Guam Emergency Operations Center at M-GU-NBG-EOC-BTLWTCH@fe.navy.mil or the Andersen Air Force Base Joint Reception Team at 36WG.JRT.ResponseSection@us.af.mil.

Individuals who are unable to present immediate proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon entry into Guam may sign a voluntary quarantine acknowledgement form and be subject to quarantine and symptom monitoring until DPHSS is able to verify vaccination status. Upon proof of verification, the individual will be cleared from quarantine and must comply with symptom monitoring for 14 days after arrival via Sara Alert.

Individuals who are unable to present immediate proof of a previous COVID-19 infection must sign a voluntary quarantine acknowledgement form and must be quarantined at the QFac and monitored for symptoms until DPHSS is able to verify if exemption can be granted on the basis of a previous COVID-19 infection and recovery.

Individuals in the QFac may receive, subject to availability and at no cost to travelers, a COVID-19 test on day 6 of quarantine administered by DPHSS or another provider designated by DPHSS.

Currently there are two types of diagnostic tests accepted by the DPHSS that detect SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19): molecular test, such as RT-PCR tests, that detect the virus’s genetic material, and antigen tests that detect specific proteins on the surface of the virus. These tests help to identify whether individuals are currently infected with the coronavirus.  If the individual receives a negative COVID-19 test result: 

• Individual will be cleared from quarantine;

• Individual must comply with symptom monitoring for 14 days after arrival via Sara Alert; and
• Individual is encouraged to download the Guam COVID Alert App.

In the event the individual receives a positive COVID-19 test result, the individual shall be subject to isolation protocols established by DPHSS and shall be isolated at a Government of Guam Isolation Facility. In the event the individual declines to receive a COVID-19 test while in the QFac, such individual shall complete the full 10-day quarantine in the QFac.

We encourage you to obtain the most up-to-date and accurate information by visiting the following websites:

Guam Department of Public Health & Social Services
http://dphss.guam.gov/covid-19-dphss-mandatory-quarantine-procedures/

Guam Visitors Bureau
https://www.guamvisitorsbureau.com/


A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority, Guam
https://www.guamairport.com/


Guam Homeland Security Office of Civil Defense
https://www.ghs.guam.gov/

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention 
https://www.cdc.gov/