Pre-flight testing period for entry into the US has been reduced to one day for all travellers. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Maksym Belchenko
The US requires all travellers entering the country, regardless of
citizenship or vaccination status, to test negative for Covid-19 within
one day of departure, starting 12:01 a.m. ET on 6 December.
President
Joe Biden announced the roll-out of stricter requirements on Thursday
in response to the recent discovery of the Omicron variant in South
Africa.
"All air travellers, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status,
will be required to show a negative pre-departure Covid-19 viral test
taken the day before they board their flight to the US," the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed.
Citing
sources, Reuters reported that the CDC is expected to give airlines a
three-day grace period to allow for some travellers to return to the US
with tests taken outside of the one-day window. What's more, the White
House is still weighing the possibility of granting temporary exemptions
for several countries with limited access to same-day Covid-19 testing.
Potential exemptions could last for about a week but more information
awaits.
Travellers should also know that the federal mask mandate requiring
face masks to be worn on planes, trains and public transportation has
been extended through 18 March 2022.
The first official case of Omicron in the US was recently discovered
in California and, so far, the variant has already been reported in over
20 countries.
Source: TravelPulse