U.S. tightens travel testing requirements, mask mandates
US President Joe Biden speaks about the Covid-19 vaccine shots administered in the US in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC, February 25, 2021.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
The Biden administration is tightening travel rules to and within the U.S., requiring all in-bound international passengers to test for Covid within 24 hours of departure and extending its mask requirement on all domestic flights and public transportation through March 18.
The changes were announced Thursday as part of a broader plan to bolster the nation’s arsenal of tools in its fight against the virus as the world enters its third year of the pandemic.
The plan is also the latest move by the Biden administration to stem the spread of the new, highly mutated omicron Covid-19 variant, which was first reported to WHO by South Africa a week ago. At least 23 countries have identified omicron cases so far, and that number is expected to rise in the coming days and weeks, the WHO said Wednesday.
The U.S. joined that list after confirming its first case of the variant in Northern California on Wednesday.
The tightened pre-departure testing protocols will apply to all in-bound international travelers regardless of vaccination status and will begin as early as next week, senior administration officials told reporters during a press call late Wednesday. Previously, the U.S. required proof of a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of departure, though this was tightened to only vaccinated travelers last month. Unvaccinated travelers had to have a negative Covid test within one day of departure.
“Our doctors believe tightening testing requirements for pre-departure will help catch more cases, potential cases of people who may be positive and inside the country,” a senior administration official said. “And so now is the right time to do it. And we can implement it very quickly.”
The mask mandate, which was originally supposed to expire in January, requires masking while on buses, trains, planes and transportation hubs such as indoor bus terminals and airports. Fines will remain doubled from their initial levels for noncompliance with the requirement, starting at $500, and going up to $3,000 for repeat offenders.
Vaccine mandates
The Biden administration’s new plan also urges businesses to “move forward expeditiously” with requiring workers to get vaccinated or tested weekly, according to the plan. Such protocols are “especially important” given the new omicron variant, the plan added.
“We’re asking businesses to step forward and do what’s right to protect our workers, our communities — to put in place some sort of vaccination requirement or testing requirements for the workplace,” a senior administration official said during the call.
The administration had given businesses with 100 or more employees until Jan. 4 to ensure their staff are either vaccinated against Covid-19, or submit a negative test weekly before entering the workplace. Unvaccinated…
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