The administration of President Joe Biden will take steps to tighten requirements for diagnostic testing for international travelers
The US will take steps in the coming days to tighten requirements for diagnostic tests for US-bound international travelers, whether they have been vaccinated or not, amid the spread of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus..
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention United State (CDC for English initials) said Tuesday in a statement that they are already working to require all people arriving by air into the country to perform COVID-19 diagnostic tests within 24 hours before they board their flights. Currently, those with a full vaccination schedule can submit an analysis that is done three days before their trip.
“The CDC is working to adjust its existing global travel analysis order as we learn more about the omicron variant; the revised order will reduce the time period for diagnostic tests required for all international air travelers to one day before departure toward the United States. The agency said.
Exact diagnostic testing protocols are still being detailed ahead of Biden’s speech on Thursday, which outlines his government’s plans to control the COVID-19 pandemic over the winter, according to a senior official who added that some details may change.
“The CDC is evaluating how to make international travel as safe as possible, including diagnostic testing that approaches flight dates, considerations for additional post-arrival testing, and voluntary quarantine,” said CDC Director Rochelle Walinsky.
official who Speak on condition of anonymity In order to reveal the government’s plans before its official announcement, he said options to be considered also include post-arrival diagnostic tests or even voluntary quarantine.
Currently, the CDC recommends diagnostic testing within three to five days after arriving in the United States from abroad, as well as isolating non-immune travelers, although compliance is voluntary and few are believed to do so.
The new measure comes just weeks after the United States fully opened its borders to foreign travelers with a full vaccination plan, on November 8, and established Two-stage diagnostic analysis system Those passengers with a full vaccination plan were given additional time to obtain a diagnostic test prior to their arrival, while unvaccinated passengers were required to submit a diagnostic test taken less than 24 hours before their flight.
New entry restrictions into the United States
Much remains unknown about the new variant — which has been discovered in more than 20 countries, but not yet in the United States — such as whether it is more contagious, causes more serious disease, or can evade the protection offered by current vaccines.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US government’s leading infectious disease expert, said more will be known about the omicron mutation within two to four weeks as scientists grow and analyze laboratory samples for the new variant of the coronavirus.
It will be necessary to take the test before leaving for the USA.
In an effort to reassure the public about the existence of the new alternative, Biden said in his remarks next Thursday, “I will present a detailed strategy outlining how we will fight COVID this winter, not with lockdown or confinement. But with widespread vaccinations, boosters, diagnostic tests and more.”
When asked by reporters if he would consult with allied governments on any changes to travel rules, considering that his predecessor Donald Trump came to surprise world leaders, Biden said: “Unlike Trump, I don’t surprise our allies.”
