Last edit by: NewbieRunner
New thread for discussing 1-day test requirements for travellers arriving in the US by air
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/coronavirus-travel/2060730-us-require-air-travelers-provide-negative-test-within-1-day-departure.html
Entry ban from eight southern African countries starting on November 29, 2021
Most non-U.S. citizens who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique or Malaw within the prior 14 days will not be allowed into the United States.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/11/26/a-proclamation-on-suspension-of-entry-as-immigrants-and-nonimmigrants-of-certain-additional-persons-who-pose-a-risk-of-transmitting-coronavirus-disease-2019/
Entry ban by air to be lifted on November 8, 2021 - All travelers should refer to CDC for travel requirements.
3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue (US citizens/LPR not vaccinated will have to test no earlier than 1 day prior) Children under 2 years old do not need to test.
Children under 18 are exempt from vaccination requirement
Accepted vaccines will include:
There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old
Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases
Update on U.S. travel policy requiring COVID-19 vaccination
Last Updated: October 25, 2021
As announced by the White House today, the new travel policy requiring foreign nationals traveling to the United States to demonstrate proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 will take effect November 8. The CDC’s website explains that, for purposes of entry into the United States, the accepted vaccines will include FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines.
COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Exceptions - U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
Last updated: October 25, 2021
The presidential proclamations described on this page will no longer be in effect on November 8, 2021. For additional information, please see Safely Resuming Travel by Vaccine Requirement and Rescission of Travel Restrictions on Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa, and the United Kingdom (travel.state.gov).
To protect the public health, there are four presidential proclamations that suspend entry into the United States of all noncitizens who were physically present in any of 33 countries during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. They are Presidential Proclamation 9984 (China); Presidential Proclamation 9992 (Iran); Presidential Proclamation 10143 (Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, and South Africa); and Presidential Proclamation 10199 (India).
What we know so far is
- Confirmed to start on 8 November
- Children under 18 are exempt from the vaccine restrictions, so the varying international standards on jab ages won't be an issue here.
- Vaccines that are OK will include Pfizer, Moderna, AZ, J&J and the two Chinese vaccines.
- Some exemptions from vaccinations are potentially allowed, notably for US citizens, though my guess is airlines will be expecting to see vaccine certificates
- 3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue, so this needs to be a documented antigen/Lateral Flow test or PCR.
- 3 days is potentially more than 72 hours, departure on a Friday afternoon means a test on Tuesday morning or thereafter.
- NHS Lateral Flows and PCRs can't be used.
- Children over 2 years old travelling with vaccinated travellers have to be tested on the same basis (3 days).
- 1 day testing for unvaccinated USA legal residents (testing on or the day before departure), including their children.
- All passengers need to sign an attestment to confirm their negative test result and also a statement to confirm full vaccination status.
- Children who are not vaccinated do not need to get vaccinated but do need to get a "viral test" 3 to 5 days after arrival in the USA
- As a result there is a separate attestion question for unvaccinated children to confirm that the viral test is arranged.
- Vaccination certificates must come from an official source. The NHS COVID Pass app and EU DCC are specifically mentioned as acceptable.
- Vaccination is counted as two weeks from dose2, or 2 weeks after the sole dose in the case of J&J.
- Antibody certification is not a replacement for the need for vaccination, at least for non USA residents.
- 14 clear days need to elapse before travel. So if jabbed on 1 October then 15 October is when you are good to go.
- Booster vaccinations are not a factor here, they don't count towards or against the primary dose process.
- There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old.
- Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases.
- These restrictions do not apply at the land border.
Note that a lot of interpretation onus falls on airlines. For example there is no language requirement for vaccine certificates as far as the CDC is concerned, however you can imagine Air France may be hesitant in accepting a vaccine certificate issued in the Welsh language, to take one example.
CDC link
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2...el-System.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/coronavirus-travel/2060730-us-require-air-travelers-provide-negative-test-within-1-day-departure.html
Entry ban from eight southern African countries starting on November 29, 2021
Most non-U.S. citizens who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique or Malaw within the prior 14 days will not be allowed into the United States.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/11/26/a-proclamation-on-suspension-of-entry-as-immigrants-and-nonimmigrants-of-certain-additional-persons-who-pose-a-risk-of-transmitting-coronavirus-disease-2019/
Entry ban by air to be lifted on November 8, 2021 - All travelers should refer to CDC for travel requirements.
3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue (US citizens/LPR not vaccinated will have to test no earlier than 1 day prior) Children under 2 years old do not need to test.
Children under 18 are exempt from vaccination requirement
Accepted vaccines will include:
- AstraZeneca
- BIBP/Sinopharm
- Covishield
- Janssen/J&J
- Moderna
- Pfizer-BioNTech
- Sinovac
There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old
Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases
Update on U.S. travel policy requiring COVID-19 vaccination
Last Updated: October 25, 2021
As announced by the White House today, the new travel policy requiring foreign nationals traveling to the United States to demonstrate proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 will take effect November 8. The CDC’s website explains that, for purposes of entry into the United States, the accepted vaccines will include FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines.
COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Exceptions - U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
Last updated: October 25, 2021
The presidential proclamations described on this page will no longer be in effect on November 8, 2021. For additional information, please see Safely Resuming Travel by Vaccine Requirement and Rescission of Travel Restrictions on Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa, and the United Kingdom (travel.state.gov).
To protect the public health, there are four presidential proclamations that suspend entry into the United States of all noncitizens who were physically present in any of 33 countries during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. They are Presidential Proclamation 9984 (China); Presidential Proclamation 9992 (Iran); Presidential Proclamation 10143 (Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, and South Africa); and Presidential Proclamation 10199 (India).
What we know so far is
- Confirmed to start on 8 November
- Children under 18 are exempt from the vaccine restrictions, so the varying international standards on jab ages won't be an issue here.
- Vaccines that are OK will include Pfizer, Moderna, AZ, J&J and the two Chinese vaccines.
- Some exemptions from vaccinations are potentially allowed, notably for US citizens, though my guess is airlines will be expecting to see vaccine certificates
- 3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue, so this needs to be a documented antigen/Lateral Flow test or PCR.
- 3 days is potentially more than 72 hours, departure on a Friday afternoon means a test on Tuesday morning or thereafter.
- NHS Lateral Flows and PCRs can't be used.
- Children over 2 years old travelling with vaccinated travellers have to be tested on the same basis (3 days).
- 1 day testing for unvaccinated USA legal residents (testing on or the day before departure), including their children.
- All passengers need to sign an attestment to confirm their negative test result and also a statement to confirm full vaccination status.
- Children who are not vaccinated do not need to get vaccinated but do need to get a "viral test" 3 to 5 days after arrival in the USA
- As a result there is a separate attestion question for unvaccinated children to confirm that the viral test is arranged.
- Vaccination certificates must come from an official source. The NHS COVID Pass app and EU DCC are specifically mentioned as acceptable.
- Vaccination is counted as two weeks from dose2, or 2 weeks after the sole dose in the case of J&J.
- Antibody certification is not a replacement for the need for vaccination, at least for non USA residents.
- 14 clear days need to elapse before travel. So if jabbed on 1 October then 15 October is when you are good to go.
- Booster vaccinations are not a factor here, they don't count towards or against the primary dose process.
- There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old.
- Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases.
- These restrictions do not apply at the land border.
Note that a lot of interpretation onus falls on airlines. For example there is no language requirement for vaccine certificates as far as the CDC is concerned, however you can imagine Air France may be hesitant in accepting a vaccine certificate issued in the Welsh language, to take one example.
CDC link
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2...el-System.html
US reopened on 8 November 2021 (& subsequent entry restrictions for non-citizens)
#2851
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,610
Dearestss, I want to be absolutely on the nail with this. I’m booking an Antigen test for tomorrow (Monday) here in Trinidad for travel to the USA on Thursday. If I am wrong, please tell me. I am sure that it is in this thread somewhere and the Wiki (we are they called that?) but I want to be reassured!
If you don't have proof of vaccination then you must get tested at-most 1 day earlier on Wednesday (or Thursday itself).
#2852
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 5,250
Just to add some perspective here, the European summer tourist season is over and I don’t think it’s clear at all that the EU would not act first in restricting travel from the US if clusters are discovered there, so whether the US should impose a travel ban on Europe could equally become a moot point. After all, the current ‘US travel ban’ is really nothing of the sort and US citizens will continue flying into the US over the near term from Southern Africa requiring only a test three days before departure if vaccinated, giving ample time to subsequently get exposed to the Omicron variant then spread it around the US.
#2853
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,170
I found this and stopped worrying
#2854
Join Date: Aug 2021
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 25
The Omnicron variant had been already detected in the Schengen zone.
It's only a matter of days until it officially pops up in the UK.
You can have a guess - in 2 weeks time Biden will close the US border for European again - probability: 90%.
Those who wanted to fly to the US were smart to do it right away now in November.
With a second UK/Ireland/Schengen Travel Ban - it won't be lifted anytime soon.
[mod edit]
It's only a matter of days until it officially pops up in the UK.
You can have a guess - in 2 weeks time Biden will close the US border for European again - probability: 90%.
Those who wanted to fly to the US were smart to do it right away now in November.
With a second UK/Ireland/Schengen Travel Ban - it won't be lifted anytime soon.
[mod edit]
#2855
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Milan, Italy
Programs: Skymiles
Posts: 271
Whitin days the variant will be discovered everywhere...so it's going to be interesting...
#2856
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,340
If anybody sane of mind and sound in body thinks that it isn't already with us, then they have learnt nothing in the last 2 miserable years.
#2857
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: DL; AA; UA; CO; LHLX; NZ; QR; EK; BA
Posts: 7,407
After all, the current ‘US travel ban’ is really nothing of the sort and US citizens will continue flying into the US over the near term from Southern Africa requiring only a test three days before departure if vaccinated, giving ample time to subsequently get exposed to the Omicron variant then spread it around the US.
#2858
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: OW Emerald / BAEC Gold
Posts: 472
You mean all eligiblr travelers only from the mentioned African countries right? Not all eligible travellers from anywhere
#2859
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: DL; AA; UA; CO; LHLX; NZ; QR; EK; BA
Posts: 7,407
The UK cases just discovered were apparently related to travel from Southern Africa…
The tests yesterday of the 600 pax on two KLM flights from JNB and CPT into AMS showed a rather alarming 10% positivity rate (61 out of the 600+ pax tested positive!)…looking on the “bright” side, it did stop 61 pax from further spreading it throughout Europe and North America (since many of those pax were no doubt connecting thru AMS).
#2860
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: DL; AA; UA; CO; LHLX; NZ; QR; EK; BA
Posts: 7,407
Correct..so all US citizens and PRs coming back from those African countries now need to show a negative test no older than one day from day of departure. Three day rule still applies for the vaccinated coming from Europe and elsewhere
#2861
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Rome, Italy
Programs: Delta, Lufthansa
Posts: 30
No I have a feeling that Biden will refrain from banning travel from the EU. There are more suspected cases in Israel for instance.
as this week progresses, there will be some imported cases discovered all over Europe but also all over the world, including the US.
as this week progresses, there will be some imported cases discovered all over Europe but also all over the world, including the US.
#2862
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,393
That doesn't mean slowing down the spread wouldn't be a bad idea right now, until we know if such measures are worth keeping or not.
#2863
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 125
I don’t expect the US to close again but I do think they’ll change the tests accepted for entry to full PCR tests and no longer accept Antigen tests. I bet that is confirmed in the coming days.
#2864
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: OW Emerald / BAEC Gold
Posts: 472
hope you are right man. Due to the increase number of test on last day i hope the 3 day rule will still work. It is hard to get the results until 48hrs after the test.
#2865
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Rome, Italy
Programs: Delta, Lufthansa
Posts: 30
That would make sense. Right now cases in several European countries, Israel, Australia, Egypt, Russia, Hong Kong etc. You would have to bar entry for several countries and at the same point, it’s already in the country.