Things change by the day and even by the hour, but here’s what we know about the US travel rules that go into effect Monday:
Are the testing rules for US entry changing?
Yes, all inbound international travelers are now required to test from Monday within one day of departure to the United States.
President Joe Biden will speak about the Omicron variant on Thursday during a visit to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
Evan Vucci/AP
Documentation showing that you have recovered from Covid-19 within the last 90 days will also be accepted.
Foreign travelers arriving in the United States still need to be fully vaccinated.
Before the new rule came into effect, all vaccinated travelers had to get tested within three days of departure.
Unvaccinated Americans and legal permanent residents are allowed to enter the country with a test taken within a day of leaving for the United States. The new rule makes the testing time frame one day for everyone.
Biden also announced that the federal mask mandate requiring travelers to wear masks at airports, on airplanes and on other modes of public transportation, such as trains and buses, has been extended until March 18.
On December 1, there will be a Covid-19 testing center in the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
Does ‘one day’ mean 24 hours?
Acceptance of the test is not dependent on the time of flight or the time of day when the test sample was taken.
“For example, if your flight is at 1 p.m. on Friday, you can board with a negative test taken the previous Thursday,” the CDC says on its website.
Does the testing obligation apply to children?
Yes, it applies to all air passengers 2 years of age or older flying to the United States.
Does it apply to arrivals at land borders and seaports?
No, the requirement is for air travelers only.
Is there a requirement for post arrival or quarantine testing?
There is no. “We are not announcing any steps on post-arrival testing and quarantine,” a senior official said in a news conference on Dec. 1.
Which countries are covered by the new US travel ban?
The entry bans announced on November 26 are entry to the US for non-citizens from eight countries in southern Africa. They are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Citizens of those countries and citizens of other countries who have traveled there in the past 14 days are not currently allowed entry into the United States.
dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Sunday that the travel ban is being re-evaluated every day, and the US government is aware of the hardships it has imposed on those countries.
Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, said the ban was introduced when the US was “in limbo” and just learned of an increase in cases in South Africa because of the Omicron variant; the ban was intended to give time to assess the situation.
Can US citizens already in those countries return?
Yes, they can.
A negative Covid-19 test, taken within one day of their departure to the US, is required.
Can US Citizens Still Travel to the Forbidden Countries?
Technically yes.
At least two American airlines still fly back and forth from South Africa, for example. Delta Air Lines still offers Atlanta-Johannesburg service and United Airlines still offers Newark-Johannesburg service.
United Airlines will also resume non-stop service between Newark and Cape Town, according to a South African Tourism press release. The release also said, “we want to emphasize that our country remains open to all those travelers who want to visit.”
An American family trapped in Johannesburg, South Africa, amid new travel restrictions from Covid-19, talks about their experience trying to get back home.
Whether it is wise to go is another matter. The CDC advises against it.
You may also encounter new travel barriers. Zimbabwe, for example, imposed a lockdown and mandatory quarantine for travelers on Tuesday, November 30, state news agency NewZiana reported.
What is the US doing to detect the virus?
The CDC also recently instructed airlines carrying passengers who have been to certain South African countries to share the contact details of those passengers with the agency.
DailyExpertNews Travel will update this article as new information becomes available and rules change. Wayne Chang, Kaitlan Collins, Jamie Gumbrecht, Jacqueline Howard, Pete Muntean, Megan Vazquez and Greg Wallace of DailyExpertNews contributed to this report.