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US to require air travelers to provide a negative test within 1 day of departure

Old Dec 3, 2021, 7:22 am
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Last edit by: l etoile
10 June 2022 - The Biden administration will on Sunday end a requirement that air travelers to the U.S. undergo Covid-19 tests before departure, according to federal officials.

The testing requirement is set to end June 12 at 12:01 a.m.



CDC Order and FAQ: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

CDC Order updated 2 December 2021:
  • If you plan to travel internationally, you will need to get a COVID-19 viral test (regardless of vaccination status or citizenship) no more than 1 day before you travel by air into the United States. You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight.
  • If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 (i.e., your positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flights departure from a foreign country and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).

All air passengers 2 years or older with a flight departing to the US from a foreign country at or after 12:01am EST (5:01am GMT) on December 6, 2021, are required show a negative COVID-19 viral test result taken no more than 1 day before travel, or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days, before they board their flight.

What types of SARS-CoV-2 test are acceptable under the Order?
You must be tested with a viral test that could be either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). Examples of available NAATs for SARS-CoV-2 include but are not restricted to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), nicking enzyme amplification reaction (NEAR), and helicase-dependent amplification (HDA). The test used must be authorized for use by the relevant national authority for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the country where the test is administered. A viral test conducted for U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) personnel, including DOD contractors, dependents, and other U.S. government employees, and tested by a DOD laboratory located in a foreign country also meets the requirements of the Order.

eMed (Abbot BinaxNOW, one of the approved methods) Thread on Flyertalk: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/coronavirus-travel/2048940-issues-re-emed-abbot-binaxnow-navica-tests.html
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US to require air travelers to provide a negative test within 1 day of departure

 
Old Dec 18, 2021, 10:44 am
  #271  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,691
Originally Posted by blue_can
Thanks for the feedback. I thought it would be quick but it sounds like it would be advisable to do it the day before. I will be staying in Richmond so not too far from the airport. Yes I was also told by people in BC that places like Shoppers are not doing antigen testing unlike pharmacies in the US.
Yeah never do this just before you flight, one there is likely to be a crowd and two if there are any issues less time to deal with them. I recently returned from French Polynesia and ran into two issues with my testing. One they reversed my first and last name (the tester caught this) so I had to go back to the office area to sort that issue out. Then the web account they gave me to collect my results did not work either so had to go back to the office again and get them to access my report and print me a copy. It all worked out but what theoretically should have taken no more than 45 mins took closer to two hours. Not an issue 18 hours before my flight but would have sucked three hours before especially since the lines were longer so it would have taken more time.
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Last edited by 36902BRF; Dec 18, 2021 at 10:53 am
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Old Dec 18, 2021, 2:04 pm
  #272  
 
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Biden's speech on Dec 21st

Biden is supposed to give a speech on Tuesday 21st December about Omicron:

Any idea whether this will include further travel restrictions? Any news sites to keep track of for leaks or similar? (Or are leaks to media a purely British thing?...) I have a NYC trip planned for March, and it'd suck a lot to miss out
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Old Dec 18, 2021, 5:08 pm
  #273  
 
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Originally Posted by SamirD
I wouldn't bother with calling--I would go to the airport and ask the ticketing agent who would be handling the flight. That's how I have averted last minute boarding issues when the rules and the airlines rules didn't match up. Hint--airline rules are all that matter.
Exactly, as nobody arriving in the USA will be checked at all. Airlines are responsible, pre-departure.
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Old Dec 18, 2021, 6:12 pm
  #274  
 
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Originally Posted by jcmalcolm
Airlines are responsible, pre-departure.
With all the variances that it brings, lol...
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Old Dec 18, 2021, 10:32 pm
  #275  
 
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Originally Posted by tosaerba24
Any idea whether this will include further travel restrictions? Any news sites to keep track of for leaks or similar? (Or are leaks to media a purely British thing?...) I have a NYC trip planned for March, and it'd suck a lot to miss out
Regarding additional international travel restrictions, I don't think there's much appetite for that. There's practically no political will in the US for more restrictions, whether domestic or international (except for masks). I suppose he could close the borders again because most people in America would be all that upset if he did, but OTOH, nobody's really screaming for it, either. I don't think he'd do that just to do it. Foreign visitors to the US are supposed to be tested & vaxxed, so what would banning them do?

My bet is he's going to hype vaccinations & boosters, masks, and complain about the courts blocking his vax mandates.
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Old Dec 21, 2021, 1:38 pm
  #276  
 
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So LHR-HND (11h50m flight)

8 hour layover

HND-LAX (10h20m flight)


On separate PNRs


I need a test during the layover / am screwed?
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Old Dec 21, 2021, 1:46 pm
  #277  
 
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Originally Posted by Tofino87
So LHR-HND (11h50m flight)

8 hour layover

HND-LAX (10h20m flight)


On separate PNRs


I need a test during the layover / am screwed?
you need a test where you swab one calendar day before the HND departure to LAX. if you can pull this off at LHR then i dont see why location of testing matters.
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Old Dec 21, 2021, 2:28 pm
  #278  
 
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Does any self test valid for not US citizen ?
foreigner visiting the US
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Old Dec 21, 2021, 9:47 pm
  #279  
 
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Another data point. I flew from MEX to LAS today on Volaris.

I got my COVID test yesterday in Acapulco 23 hours before my ACA-MEX flight on Aeromexico but 26 hours before my MEX-LAS flight on Volaris (separate tickets).

Got boarding passes for both flights online, no COVID test check for the ACA-MEX flight of course.

Went to gate for the MEX-LAS flight and they were making announcements to show COVID test to board and although my Spanish is not good I distinctly heard them say "24 hours."

Handed the staff my 26 hour old COVID test and no issues boarding.
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Old Dec 22, 2021, 1:34 am
  #280  
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Queue for express test at LHR T3. It’s longer inside.

By the way e-gates open. There were 4 people in line. Through in less than 3 minutes.
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Old Dec 22, 2021, 1:49 am
  #281  
 
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Originally Posted by gnomey
you need a test where you swab one calendar day before the HND departure to LAX. if you can pull this off at LHR then i dont see why location of testing matters.
Got it! So if I was departing LHR-HND on 20th April, I could do a test at Heathrow at 8/9am, whenever they open (even if departure wasnt until 19:00), and with my HND-LAX flight departing on 21st April at around 23:00, Id be fine to use my heathrow test result.

many thanks :-)
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Old Dec 22, 2021, 6:57 pm
  #282  
 
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I saw online the cdc is considering reducing the isolation time for fully vaccinated people after testing positive. Any truth to this? This could come in handy for travel
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Old Dec 22, 2021, 8:10 pm
  #283  
 
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Originally Posted by michael1023
I saw online the cdc is considering reducing the isolation time for fully vaccinated people after testing positive. Any truth to this? This could come in handy for travel
It's true there is a rumour that the CDC is considering it, yes!

rb211.
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Old Dec 23, 2021, 8:27 am
  #284  
 
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Originally Posted by RB211
It's true there is a rumour that the CDC is considering it, yes!

rb211.
The CDC Director has stated that it is being considered with a review of the data and analyses, so it's not merely a rumor:

The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that new guidelines to shorten isolation over COVID-19 could come “soon” — as the UK reduced the period in England from 10 to seven days. During a Wednesday appearance on “CBS Mornings,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said officials were “actively examining” relevant data and “doing some modeling analyses to assess” whether to make any changes.
“And we anticipate that we’ll have some updates soon,” Walensky said.
https://nypost.com/2021/12/22/rochel...uld-come-soon/
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Last edited by 84fiero; Dec 23, 2021 at 8:28 am Reason: format
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Old Dec 23, 2021, 11:34 am
  #285  
 
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Originally Posted by prof
Yes, exactly right, unfortunately. Let us know what they say. They have a good product and service, but this business of the absurdly short expiry dates is a big disappointment.
Update: I emailed EMED and asked for a refund since they sent me the 6 pack of tests after the expiration date on the box.

I got a response back saying the kits were good for 90 days after that date.

I emailed again and pointed out that it was now more than 90 days after the date on the box and I wasn't able to use the tests due to them expiring within 90 days of me receiving them.

EMED responded and said they'll issue me a refund to my credit card.
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