USA will require from next Monday all travelers who move to its territory to present a negative test of coronavirus in the 24 hours prior to your flight, regardless of your flight status vaccination or country of departure, with the aim of stopping a possible spread of the new variant of COVID-19, omicron.
It is one of the measures announced this Thursday by the Administration of the US president, Joe biden, within his winter plan against Covid-19, which has eight more provisions. Up to now, USA required proof of coronavirus before departure to vaccinated and unvaccinated air travelers, but was stricter with those who have not received the inoculations.
In fact, the unvaccinated had to present a negative test in the 24 hours before the flight, while the vaccinated They had to do the same but in the previous 72 hours.
“This stricter time frame for all Travellers provides an additional degree of public health protection as scientists continue to assess the omicron variant“said a senior US official, who preferred to remain in the anonymity, in a call with journalists.
Quarantine for travelers arriving in the US is ruled out
This source ruled out that travelers have to stay in quarantine certain time after arrival or undergo another test of coronavirus two or three days after stepping on US soil, as several media outlets in the country had advanced.
Beyond the protocols for Travellers, Biden’s winter plan against the coronavirus includes measures to promote booster shots among all adults; expand the number of inoculations between children; increase access to free tests at home; and increase protections in the workplace.
Likewise, the program Biden, announced this Thursday by the White House, strengthen rapid response teams to help combat potential spikes in cases and ensure the supply of pills from treatment against Covid-19 once they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA, for its acronym in English), among others.
Omicron variant is not a cause for panic in the US
Although the high official acknowledged in the call that the new omicron variant is “cause for concern” in the United States, he said “is not cause for panic.” “We have the tools we need to face this variant and continue to advance in our fight against virus. We are using them to keep the population safe, keep our schools open, and protect our economy“, he sentenced.
USA confirmed this Wednesday the first case in its territory of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, which has been detected in California and that corresponds to an individual who returned to the United States from South Africa last November 22.
On USA, the country hardest hit by pandemic with more than 780 thousand deaths, almost 20% of its population has also already received the dose of reinforcement of available serums.
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