To Travel to the US, Submit Negative COVID Test Result Taken One Day Prior... No Additional Testing or Quarantine Required

Biden Announces Additional Travel Restriction Measures Today

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The United States has decided to require travelers entering the country to submit a COVID-19 test result taken within 24 hours before departure to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant. This is a significantly strengthened measure compared to the current requirement of submitting test results taken within 72 hours. However, unlike expectations, additional testing or mandatory self-quarantine after entering the U.S. were not included in the new quarantine measures.

On the 2nd (local time), the White House disclosed the COVID-19 prevention measures that President Joe Biden will announce that afternoon. Accordingly, starting early next week, anyone entering the U.S., regardless of nationality or vaccination status, must submit a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 24 hours before departure.

This strengthens the previous regulation, which required submission of test results taken within three days. However, measures such as separate testing or quarantine after entry, which were expected to be implemented, have been postponed for now.

The core of this measure focuses on booster shot vaccinations rather than large-scale lockdowns or travel restrictions. The goal is to overcome the health crisis by maximizing booster shot coverage.

President Biden also reiterated calls to introduce mandatory vaccination rules for large workplaces and plans to issue separate quarantine guidelines for schools.

The mask mandate on airplanes and public transportation, which was scheduled to end in January next year, has also been extended.

Additionally, to facilitate easy self-testing at home, private health insurance will reimburse the cost of self-test kits, and free kits will be distributed to certain multi-use facilities such as schools, nursing homes, and prisons.

A senior U.S. government official explained this measure by saying, "We will continue to act aggressively but follow the science. We will work day and night to protect Americans against all scenarios, keep schools open, maintain economic growth, and defeat the pandemic."