Things are looking up. COVID-19 vaccines, once a hard-to-get commodity, are now easy to get, and lots of people have gotten vaccinated. 

You may think now’s a great time to pay someone a visit who you haven’t been able to see since this pandemic began. Maybe that person lives far away, and you’ll have to travel to see them. If that’s the case, there are a few things you should be aware of. Although things are looking up, COVID-19 is still here. Testing may still be required by some destinations. 

Before getting tested for COVID-19 prior to travel, make sure you: 

• Check your destination. Some locations only accept results from certain testing sites. Hawaii, for example, requires test results from a Hawaii-certified lab. Northwest Labs, which processes tests from our testing program, is not certified by Hawaii, but Walgreens, Costco and CVS are. Make sure you get tested at a testing site that’s approved by the destination you’re traveling to. 
• Check your insurance. Double check with your insurance company to make sure they’ll cover travel-related COVID-19 testing. They may not. Testing is still covered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) or your insurance provider if you have COVID-19 symptoms, or if you’ve been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. But if you’re asymptomatic and only seeking testing to satisfy travel requirements, your test may not be covered.

Once you’ve figured out testing, make sure you’re familiar with the CDC’s current travel guidelines, which are different for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. Washington State currently follows these guidelines.