Unvaccinated and want to travel to Brazil? Be prepared for a 5-day quarantine

Countries worldwide are reacting to the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant, with some imposing new testing restrictions and travel bans or shutting their borders entirely.

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But unvaccinated travelers who want to travel to Brazil face a new restriction: a mandatory five-day quarantine. Unvaccinated travelers who arrive in Brazil by airplane will be required to quarantine at their destination for five days starting Dec. 11. A health official told the Associated Press that the rule would “mean discouragement of anti-vaccine tourism to Brazil.”

It’s unclear how the country will enforce the quarantine. The rule went into place just days after President Jair Bolsonaro – who has said that it “makes no sense" for him to be vaccinated, even after contracting the virus – said he opposed the idea of a vaccine passport.

All travelers to Brazil must fill out a health declaration form and show proof of a negative RT-PCR test performed within 72 hours before boarding or a negative antigen test taken within 24 hours before boarding. Children under the age of 12 traveling with a companion are exempt from this rule. Travelers must also show proof of vaccination, and unvaccinated travelers must quarantine upon arrival.

At the end of the five-day quarantine, unvaccinated travelers must take a new RT-PCR or antigen test, according to the U.S. Embassy. If the test is positive, they must follow Brazilian Ministry of Health guidelines. Unvaccinated travelers who test negative can then travel throughout the country.

If you have travel planned to parts of Brazil this holiday season, some things won’t be the same. The city of Rio de Janeiro announced that it would cancel its annual New Year's Eve celebration due to the spread of the omicron variant, which has been discovered in Brazil.

Nearly 66% of Brazilians are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. Brazil has reported over 22 million coronavirus cases and over 616,000 deaths, among the world’s highest numbers. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the country at “Level 3: High Level of COVID-19” and says unvaccinated travelers should avoid nonessential travel to Brazil.