Booster Mandates For Puerto Rico Employees And Additional COVID-19 Measures

• Published date: 21 February 2022
• Subject Matter: Coronavirus (COVID-19), Government Measures, Reporting and Compliance
• Law Firm: Littler Mendelson
• Author: Ms Anabel Rodríguez-Alonso and Irene Viera Matta

As COVID-19 positivity rates continue to decrease, on February 13, 2022, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi issued three news executive orders revising travelers' declaration requirements, relaxing COVID-19 restrictions and providing for additional vaccine booster mandates for certain employees. The new executive orders are summarized as follows:

Traveler Restrictions - EO 2022-09

Traveler Declaration Form - Any passenger over two years of age who arrives in Puerto Rico from a flight from any state or territory of the United States of America or from any international destination must complete the "Declaration of traveler, COVID-19 Alert" or the "Travel Declaration Form, COVID-19 alert" (Traveler Declarations).¹ Completing the Traveler Declarations includes, among other things, attaching a copy of the "COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card," the Vacu-ID or negative COVID-19 result.² In contrast, any passenger who has the Vacu-ID issued by the Government of Puerto Rico reflecting they were inoculated with the booster dose, will be exempt from having to complete the Traveler Declarations. Additionally, an adult with a Vacu-ID traveling with a child over two years of age must complete the Traveler Declarations for the minor.

Domestic Travelers - Any passenger over the age of two years who arrives in Puerto Rico from any state or territory of the United States of America must comply with the following:

1) Vaccinated person: present evidence of being completely inoculated.

2) Unvaccinated person:

a. Present a negative COVID-19 result from a qualified COVID-19 test that has been processed by a licensed healthcare professional (home tests not acceptable) and has been performed within two days prior to arrival, or

b. Present a positive COVID-19 result from the past three months together with documentation of recovery.

c. If the unvaccinated passenger does not present the result of the COVID-19 test at the time of arrival, they must undergo a qualified SARS-CoV2 viral test within 48 hours of arrival and must remain in quarantine while waiting for the result.

International Travelers - Passengers arriving from any international destination must adhere to the rules imposed by the U.S. government ("Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic") and by CDC orders applicable to Global Travel. In addition, every passenger over two years of age, except those excepted by the CDC, must present: (a) a negative COVID-19 result approved by a...