US mandatory for all incoming passengers to carry COVID-19 test report

Online desk: The 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
2 years or older boarding a flight to the United States,” 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 1 calendar day preceding the passenger’s flight to the
United States 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 1-day period is 1 day before the flight’s departure. The order uses
a 1-day time frame instead of 24 hours to provide more flexibility to the air
passenger and aircraft operator.

By using a 1-day window, test acceptability does not depend on the time
of the flight or the time of day that the test sample was taken, the circular
explained.

For example, flight AI191/(BOM-EWR) is at 01:30 AM IST on a Tuesday,
passengers could board with a negative test that was taken any time on the 1
calendar day prior Tuesday i.e., on Monday, it said.

On Saturday, New York detected three more cases of the omicron variant,
bringing the total number of the state’s cases to eight. Seven of the new
cases have been found in New York City.

“The omicron variant is here, and as anticipated we are seeing the
beginning of community spread,” state Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said
in a statement.

Massachusetts and Washington announced their first cases on Saturday, a
day after New Jersey, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Maryland reported their first
cases.