From December 6, 2021, all air passengers will be required to show a negative COVID-19 test before entering to the US. The measure will affect all passengers 2 years or older and it will apply to both US citizens and foreign nationals. The negative COVID-19 viral test must be taken no more than 1 day before travel and must be shown before boarding. Alternatively, for those who have recovered from the virus, passengers must show documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the previous 90 days.
This new rule updates the requirements for international travel and comes out just a month after the Biden administration has reopened the US borders to vaccinated people.
Indeed, President Biden with a much awaited proclamation ( October 25 proclamation ) allowed travelers from 26 Schengen Area countries, Ireland, the UK, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil, who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, to travel again to the US.
So, after an 18-month travel ban, the US has reopened its borders to vaccinated people irrespectively of their country of origin.
These measures are in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) policies against the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. The CDC has in fact determined that the best way to slow the spread of COVID-19, including preventing infection by the Delta or Omicron variant, is for individuals to get vaccinated. According to the CDC, vaccinated individuals are 5 times less likely to be infected and 10 times less likely to experience hospitalization or death due to COVID-19 than unvaccinated individuals. Seems natural that these new requirements on international travel are an effort to reduce the spread of the virus and at the same time an effort to go back to normality.
In conclusion, what are the requirements that international travelers must meet to enter to the US as in light of these new rules ?
They must show 1) a Covid-19 Vaccine certification and 2) A negative Covid-19 test taken one day before travelling.
