COVID Testing For International Travelers To Be Toughened By The CDC

 The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that international travelers entering the US would soon be required to show a negative result from a coronavirus test done within 24 hours of departure, as the globe struggles to find measures to stop the spread of the new Omicron variety. 

That's a considerably shorter turnaround: Current regulations enable fully vaccinated people to have a coronavirus PCR test up to three days (72 hours) before flying to the US.

"As we understand more about the Omicron strain, the CDC is working to alter the existing global testing order for travel; a new order would shorten the period for necessary testing for all."

"International air travelers should arrive at least one day before their flight to the United States," said agency spokesperson Jason McDonald.

According to The New York Times, "this tightens already stringent rules in place for overseas travel, including requirements for foreign tourists to be properly vaccinated."

According to the New York Times, it's unclear whether the new, stricter guideline will need an antigen or fast PCR test.

The new Omicron strain has already been discovered in over a dozen nations around the world.

President Joe Biden has stated that he will unveil efforts to tighten security against the coronavirus on Thursday. It's unclear whether Biden would announce the stricter testing criteria, and McDonald gave no timetable for the CDC's response, according to the New York Times.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend that all visitors receive a coronavirus test three to five days after arriving in the US. Even if they test negative, unvaccinated travelers should self-isolate and quarantine for seven days after arriving, according to the CDC.

The Omicron variant led Natalie Quillian, the White House's deputy coordinator for COVID response, to take a fresh look at the protections in place to ensure that those entering the nation were not carrying the virus, according to Quillian.