Omicron: United States will require travelers to test negative for coronavirus 24 hours before their flight

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 vaccination status 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 its 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 had to do the same but in the previous 72 hours.

“This stricter time frame for all travelers provides an additional degree of public health protection as scientists continue to evaluate the omicron variant.”said a senior US official, who preferred to remain anonymous, in a call with reporters.

This source ruled out that travelers have to remain in quarantine for a 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 travelers, the winter plan of Biden against him coronavirus includes measures to promote booster shots among all adults; expand the number of inoculations among children; increase access to free tests at home; and increase protections in the workplace.

Likewise, the program Biden, announced Thursday by the White House, will strengthen rapid response teams to help combat potential spikes in cases and ensure the supply of anti-HIV treatment pills. covid-19 once they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), among others.

Although the high official acknowledged in the call that the new omicron variant is “cause for concern” in the US, he asserted that “it is not a cause for panic.”

“We have the tools we need to face this variant and to continue advancing in our fight against the virus. We are using them to keep the population safe, keep our schools open and protect our economy ”, sentenced.

The United States 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 US from South Africa on November 22.

On United Statess, the country hardest hit by the pandemic with more than 780,000 deaths, almost 20% of its population has also received the booster dose of available serums.