US makes Covid-19 test report must for incoming travellers

Compulsory mask wearing in shops has been reintroduced in England as fears rise over the Omicron variant. Shoppers, some wearing facemasks, walk along Oxford Street in central London. Pic/AFP

The United States (US) has made it mandatory for all incoming passengers, including those from India, to carry a negative COVID-19 test report or a proof of recovery from the contagion amidst rising number of cases of the new Omicron variant. The new protocol comes into effect from December 6, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has said.

"This amendment updates COVID-19 testing requirements for air passengers two years or older boarding a flight to the US," Indian government officials informed Indian-American community leaders on Saturday. As per the new amended order, effectively for flights departing to the US from a foreign country at or after 12:01 am EST (5:01 am GMT or 10:31 am IST) on December 6, 2021, passengers are required show a negative COVID-19 viral test result taken no more than 1 day before travel.

Documentation of a negative SARS-CoV-2 viral test result from specimen collected no more than one calendar day preceding the passenger's flight to the US or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days, before they board their flight. "Air passengers will also be required to confirm in the form of an attestation that the information they present is true," officials said. The one-day period is one day before the flight's departure. The order uses a one-day time frame instead of 24 hours to provide more flexibility to the air passenger and aircraft operator.

Cuba tightens travel rules as cases plateau

The Cuban government continued to take precautions amid mounting global concern over the COVID-19 Omicron variant. Starting on Saturday, the Caribbean nation tightened travel rules for inbound international passengers as nationwide cases plateau. All travellers flying into Cuba from South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique are now required to show vaccination certificates and negative results of PCR tests taken within 72 hours before arrival.

UK adds Nigeria to travel ban list

The UK has re-introduced compulsory pre-departure tests for all travellers entering the country and added Nigeria to its travel ban red list amid fears of the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The UK government said on Saturday that new analysis conducted by the UK Health and Security Agency indicates that the window between infection and infectiousness may be shorter for the Omicron variant, which increases the efficacy of pre-departure testing as it is more likely to identify positive cases before travel.

Oz approves vaccine for 5-11 year olds

Australia's medical regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, on Sunday provisionally approved Pfizer's COVID vaccine for children aged between 5 and 11. Health Minister Greg Hunt said the federal government now expects the vaccine rollout for that cohort to start on January 10.

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