As questions remain about the omicron variant, the United States is considering a stricter COVID-19 testing requirement for inbound flights to the United States as well as an obligatory self-quarantine on arrival.
New Testing, Quarantine Requirements Under Considering For Inbound Travel To USA
The news, leaked to The Washington Post, would represent a trio of firsts for the United States:
- A negative Covid-19 test within one calendar day of travel (not 24 hours) would be required for all passengers, regardless of vaccination status
- currently, vaccinated travelers can submit a test not more than three calendar days old.
- A second test up to five days after arrival
- 7-day self-quarantine upon arrival in the USA
It is not clear when the new policy would take effect.
The negative COVID-19 tests seems like the most likely new rule, while the second test and self-quarantine are merely under consideration (and perhaps leaked to gauge initial public reaction).
Like state or county-level self-isolation requirements, wide exemptions typically exist for business travelers and essential workers. Practically, the new policy would be geared at raising the cost of short-term leisure trips with the goal of reducing the spread of COVID-19.
The mandatory self-quarantine may not even be legal: the White House has asked the Department of Justice to weigh in on the potential.
The two testing measures are detailed in a draft public health order written by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that is under review by officials at the U.S. Health and Human Services Department and the White House. The self quarantine-related measures are not in that draft but could be added later if the proposals win broader sign-off, said the officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the order has not been finalized.
The leak and new rules under consideration suggest the Biden Administration will announce on Thursday that not only is the omicron variant present in the United States, but potentially widely present (which would make sense considering the dozens of daily flights arriving from Europe and Africa without post-flight testing or quarantine).
CONCLUSION
While there are many unanswered questions, the new pre- and post-flight testing plus quarantine policies under consideration would present a dramatic change from current U.S. policy concerning international travel.
Stay tuned for more analysis on this tomorrow.
It is clear that the current administration is NOT following the science. They are following the political science (as did the Trump admin)
How many reports do we need from those actually treating patients with this new variant that the symptoms are mild? We are freaking out over case numbers, not the effect on our health care system
Of course, this admin did not fire Fauci after he said “I am science” in his interview yesterday. As a scientist myself, I can say that is total BS. NOBODY is science. Only science is science. That statement came across as coming from a 2 bit absolute monarch
I am derek, not Derek.
While I would welcome the news that Omicron symptoms are mild, I am not so quick to assume that is true. It could be that the known cases tend to be younger people and not that the variant is more mild. It would not be a shocker if we find that older people are dropping like flies from this. I hope this does not happen.
Derelict- Your comments have nothing to do with the proposed rules. It’s obvious you’re an anti-Vaxxer and probably a Covid accelerator. Perhaps you should find a new country to live in.
Nonsense, Derek is transvaccinated. He isn’t actually vaccinated, but he self-identifies as vaccinated.
^ ^ ^ pure gold right there. Thanks for the lol
Ok comrade
I received 2 jnj vaccine doses and fully support a vaccine passport
Excellent, comrade, support for a vaccine passport is the correct position. You will be rewarded with extra ration coupons while the deplorables will be left to starve, the freedom-loving capitalist running dog lackeys that they are.
I don’t see this happening. How do they propose the post-travel tests will work? They don’t have the resources or the infrastructure to do that themselves, and they can’t count on the states – a lot of them will tell the White House to shove it.
Regarding the quarantine, the Republicans in Congress will go crazy and will be able to block it. They still haven’t passed the NDAA or a budget and both of those are going to be a higher priority than this. If the White House makes a serious effort to do this, get ready for a government shutdown (probably not a short one, either). How are they going to enforce a quarantine? They don’t have the resources. They can’t have the states do it – half of them (at least) are going to tell the WH to pound sand. And then you will have the inevitable lawsuits.
This administration is out of control. COVID is endemic, and it isn’t going away. The new variant is already all over the world, and is almost certainly circulating through the US. If it proves to be significantly more contagious than Delta, it will become the dominant strain here no matter what dumb restrictions we put in place. There remains zero data that travel is a major driver of spread. This is more COVID theater that will cause widespread negative consequences while making zero impact on the actual COVID situation. People need to loudly say that enough is enough.
Well, there goes my Dubai World Expo plans. Is this our future now? Every year we’re gonna get a new variant that will dominate so we’re just gonna slowly kill the travel industry by these restrictions?
“Is this our future now?“
We are almost 2 years into this so that is looking likely.
The entire business of attempting to stop covid and its array of variants at the border is plain stupid. Even with stricter protocols that Brandon is theoretically suggesting (although it might be a mere “leaked” trial balloon), Australia and New Zealand got washed over by delta.
Once endemic, covid is controlled (or not) by human behavior, not closing borders.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.
How the hell would they police this nonsense? Phone me? Knock on my door? The hotel is going to tell them which room I’m in if they wish to visit? Headshakinly dumb. But I’m getting used to that from this administration.
Testing requirements are already a joke. Just need to submit a piece a paper indicating a negative result. There is absolutely to system for verification. A massive portion of these are already fraudulent. Go into any hotel business center in a major city and you’ll find a pdf template for a local lab you can modify in 2 minutes. Making an absolutely unworkable 24 hour window will only encourage more fraud. Testing on arrival is more viable but only useful if people act on a positive result. Enforcing quarantine in the US is nearly impossible. This is absolutely COVID theater designed to make travel miserable in hope that people will stay home. Team Biden’s policies are a total joke and just follow the latest headlines in hope of appearing to do something. Require all foreign visitors to have travel insurance to pay their own bills and drop the pointless restrictions. COVID ain’t going away. Learn to live with it.
This is just a general comment on this blog but the pop up video isn’t acceptable. Bad enough to see the non-stop pop up email address window. I’m resorting to various ad blocks due to it and if it eventually renders me unable to visit sites like this, then so be it but auto play videos I won’t tolerate on web pages. Seems to be a recent (last few months) thing to several travel blogs.
I agree. The pop up video on the iPhone makes reading the blog impossible. It blocks the area where you type your name and email address. Very annoying and unnecessary.
I hope they do it. The sooner this senile fool and his administration piss off the ever dwindling number of remaining supporters the better. Then we can get these people out of office and hopefully get some responsible leadership, although that’s a tall order in Washington.
They are telling me to sign all these papers but they won’t give me any ice cream.
This is absurd. The Biden administration is trying to throw travelers under the bus because it’s failed to successfully vaccinate the U.S. population and deaths and hospitalizations will be very high this winter. There should either be mandatory vaccination of everyone (probably unconstitutional) or just let it rip now, but it’s time to stop punishing the vaccinated — including travelers — because the country is ungovernable. I’ll relocate to Europe, if rules this strict are implemented.
Wasn’t it people who are now in the Biden Administration who employed vaccine hesitance as a tactic during the presidential campaign of 2020? I clearly remember the vice presidential debate where our current vice president was asked if Trump wins would she take the vaccine if the Trump Administration (CDC FDA) said it was safe. Her answer was no she wouldn’t take the vaccine if the Trump said it was safe and she wasn’t the only administration official or the only democrat to come out against the vaccines.
I’m fully vaccinated and an independent but this past election I voted Republican, and come 2022 and 2024 I intend to do the same because right now there is nothing I find appealing about the Democratic party. I’m tired of the fearmongering this administration continues to employ, Im tired of the lies about COVID. But most of all I’m tired of the administration using manipulation and mandates to increase vaccination rates. Another reason for vaccine hesitancy is because people who are fully vaccinated their lives are no different than those who are no vaccinated despite the administration’s promise early on that we would get our lives back if people would get vaccinated. Over 70% of the US population has been vaccinated and yet here we are with an Administration threatening more restrictions instead of more freedoms. It is time to VOTE these people out of office because COVID is NEVER going away just like the Flu never went away.
“…vaccine hesitancy is because people who are fully vaccinated their lives are no different than those who are no vaccinated…” BINGO!!!!
I heard this so many times. I heard this from people that are vaccinated about not getting a booster. This is a Government that cannot be trusted. I have a family trip scheduled in 3 weeks to visit my family overseas for the first time in 3 years. We are all fully vaccinated and now Brandon wants us to get tested 1 day before we come back and then again and potentially go into quarantine? How is it possible to get tested 1 day before a trip to a developing country that doesn’t offer the same resources we find here. I already had our tests scheduled for 72 hours prior our flight. Now, the day prior will be a Sunday. How will I be able to get a PCR test on a Sunday and get the results in time to fly next day? Covid will never go away and people are getting very tired of this BS of creating panic. How many people have died from this new variant? So far, ZERO!!!!!! Brandon is trying very hard to reach a negative rating if that is possible.
I agree with the sentiment, but wanted to let you know that the rapid antigen tests are acceptable to board flights back to the USA.
Fake news, do not post anything the Washington Post says. Since when did you come the media? Boardingarea should be reviews only. This is awful. Again, this is fake and these rules are not coming into play.
This administration is out of their minds. How can you get a PCR test done in 1 day in most countries? Not even in the US you can get that in most places. And they keep wondering why people don’t get the vaccines. Because they keep making their lives miserable.
They haven’t specified PCR yet so maybe Antigen should be ok now, we can usually get that within 30min.
I’m more worried about the quarantine, unlike most kids here, I have an engineering job where it would be harder for me to stay home than desk warriors.
Don’t forget our southern border. Illegals from over 100 foreign countries, drug traffickers, sex traffickers, gang bangers- come on in and enjoy all this great country has to offer at no cost to you! No covid testing, vaccine mandates, or ID required. My wife and I have spent over $500 this year so we can legally get back into this country after a foreign trip. Multiple covid tests, insurance, Global entry application fees, finger printed, background checks. and now they want to make it more difficult. FJB
This is specifically targeting one segment of travel, large family groups going to Mexico and close by resort areas outside the U.S. For business travelers, even with the quarantine, which of course will be ignored by solo business travelers like myself (harder with families), it’s not a big deal. No different than the UK has as far as the testing regiment.
How many kids will be saved (for a few weeks at least) from being raped by Americans traveling for the sex trade by these decisions?
One benefit of Covid most of us are happy about.