WASHINGTON, Dec 2 Reuters -- New rules for international air travelers in the United States to obtain a negative COVID 19 test within one day of travel will take effect Monday at 12: 01 a.m. U.S. officials confirmed Thursday that they were at 0501 GMT.
International air travelers can present a negative test result within three days of their departure, under current rules. Travelers who are notvaccinated must have a negative COVID- 19 test within a day of departure.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that beginning Monday all air travelers, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status, will have to show a negative pre-departure COVID- 19 viral test taken the day before they board their flight to the United States. The tighter testing timeline provides public health protection as scientists continue to assess the Omicron variant, the White House said in a factsheet released Thursday.
The CDC is expected to give airlines a three-day grace period to allow them to return to the United States with tests taken outside of the one-day window.
The administration is considering whether to grant temporary exemptions for about two dozen countries where access to same-day testing is limited, but details are still being finalized. The exemptions could last only about a week.
The White House said on Monday that nearly all foreign nationals from eight southern African countries will not be able to enter the United States because of fears of the spread of the Omicron variant, but it has not extended travel restrictions to other countries where the new variant has been discovered.
The U.S. top infectious disease official Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that he viewed the restrictions on the eight countries as a temporary measure. Jen Psaki, a White House spokeswoman, said she would not expect the lifting of restrictions before we know more about the variant. We will continue to evaluate if additional restrictions need to be put in place.