The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has verified that the duration for pre-departure COVID-19 tests for overseas travel would be reduced from three to one day.
The amendment, which would apply to fully vaccinated tourists, would standardize the pre-departure testing timeframe for both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors who must get a test within one calendar day of departure.
In a statement, the CDC said a revised testing order “would shorten the timeline for required testing for all international air travelers to one day before departure to the United States.”
The CDC is learning more about the Omicron variety, which has resulted in the adjustment.
However, reports in the Washington Post that the CDC wants to implement mandatory quarantine and post-arrival testing have been minimized, and the advice for fully vaccinated passengers will likely remain the same.
Travelers who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated must already self-isolate for seven days and take a second virus test between three and five days after arriving in the United States.
The Biden administration is debating whether all flight travelers, including fully vaccinated Americans, should be required to take a post-arrival test.
Because access to testing was still limited in many international countries when the administration initially imposed pre-departure testing requirements, it chose a three-day deadline.
In the previous six months, testing infrastructure has dramatically improved, and most travelers can now complete their journey in a single day. A quick antigen test, which can produce findings in as little as 15 minutes, is the bare minimum for a pre-departure test.
