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Can I get my test back in time? US-bound travelers scramble to find COVID tests that can return a result in hours under Biden's new limits and could be forced to pay out at least $100

  U.S. citizens and other international travelers are rushing to figure out how they will comply with the Biden administration's new req...

 U.S. citizens and other international travelers are rushing to figure out how they will comply with the Biden administration's new requirement that in-bound passengers present proof of a fresh negative covid test before boarding.  

The new regulations – which Biden announced yesterday and which the Centers for Disease Control put out in a new amended order – require all in-bound international travelers to show proof of a negative COVID test before boarding their flight to the U.S. 

The rule applies regardless of vaccination status, and applies to U.S. citizens as well as foreign visitors. It also applies to those with U.S. layovers en route to other destinations.  

'If you plan to travel internationally, you will need to get a COVID-19 viral test (regardless of vaccination status or citizenship) no more than 1 day before you travel by air into the United States. You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight,' according to the amended order released by the CDC Thursday.

In-bound travelers will be required to show proof of a negative covid test no more than one day before their travel. The amended rule applies to U.S. citizens

In-bound travelers will be required to show proof of a negative covid test no more than one day before their travel. The amended rule applies to U.S. citizens

Travelers stuck in South Africa after new variant causes wave of fear
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The full 30-page amended order provides more detail on the time frame, requiring 'a negative pre-departure viral test result for SARS-CoV-2 conducted on a specimen collected no more than 1 calendar day before the flight's departure from a foreign country.'

Or, travelers can provide documents showing they recovered from covid and are cleared for travel by a doctor, including a positive test result from within the last 90 days. 

The requirement comes amid new warnings about the transmissibility of the Omicron variant. 

It puts a premium on testing facilities in overseas locations – and puts a cost burden on incoming travelers, including Americans. There are already concerns about availability of testing. Foreign visitors previously had a 72-hour window to get a test result – a burden that is easier to meet and usually carries a much cheaper price at paid testing facilities. 

An online search Friday found prices for 24-hour PCR testing ranging from $70 to $130 in such cities as London, Amsterdam, and Dubai. The order goes into effect Dec. 6th.

The change comes amid an increase in travel and the spread of the Omicron variant

The change comes amid an increase in travel and the spread of the Omicron variant

Travelers either must show a negative result or demonstrate they have recovered from covid with a positive test a physician's letter clearing them for travel

Travelers either must show a negative result or demonstrate they have recovered from covid with a positive test a physician's letter clearing them for travel 

President said Thursday he hopes his new coronavirus plan could 'put the divisiveness behind us,' as he called for more testing, urged booster shots, and new testing requirements for international travelers

President said Thursday he hopes his new coronavirus plan could 'put the divisiveness behind us,' as he called for more testing, urged booster shots, and new testing requirements for international travelers

The travel measure is part of an overall push to improve testing as the nation faces yet another coronavirus mutation

The travel measure is part of an overall push to improve testing as the nation faces yet another coronavirus mutation

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the difficulty of getting covid tests in some foreign locales with a 24-hour turnaround. 

'Well, as we're implementing any of these policies, we obviously take into consideration – we take into consideration, as you know, in our prior announcement about requirement of vaccination ... in countries where that wasn't available. I will check and see if there's any exemptions or anything that is going to be applicable in the same regard,' she said.    

The new plan, going into effect 'early next week,' makes no exceptions for vaccination status.  

'This tighter testing timetable provides an added degree of protection as scientists continue to study the Omicron variant,' Biden said in a speech Thursday at the National Institutes of Health.  

However, the announcement was vague over whether travelers will have to take a PCR test - which could take days to produce a result - or if rapid tests will be acceptable. Many countries require a PCR test for foreign visitors.

Biden flew to NIH to spell out new efforts to provide boosters, more testing, and vaccines to combat covid and the Omicron variant – and said he 'strongly' supports a review of getting jabs to children under 5.  

The president said Americans should be prepared for a rise in coronavirus cases over the winter, but maintained it should simply be a cause for concern rather than panic.

His administration is rolling out a multi-faceted approach to tackle the pandemic after cases of the Omicron variant were detected in California and Minnesota.

That could potentially include further restrictions on domestic travel – asked today about the possibility of a ban on unvaccinated domestic flyers, White House Press Secretary said 'nothing is off the table.'

In South Africa's Omicron epicenter, Gauteng province, the R rate has increased from one to 3.5 in less than a month, meaning a person ill with COVID-19 will infect 3.5 people on average who come into contact with them

In South Africa's Omicron epicenter, Gauteng province, the R rate has increased from one to 3.5 in less than a month, meaning a person ill with COVID-19 will infect 3.5 people on average who come into contact with them

As of Friday, 10 cases identified in the U.S. including five in New York City, two in California and one each in Colorado, Hawaii and Minnesota

As of Friday, 10 cases identified in the U.S. including five in New York City, two in California and one each in Colorado, Hawaii and Minnesota

Mask-wearing will also be required in all mass transit hubs and airports until March 18. The mandate had been set to expire on January 18.

Biden flew to the National Institutes of Health to spell out new efforts to provide boosters, more testing, and vaccines to combat covid and the Omicron variant – and said he 'strongly' supports a review of getting jabs to children under the age of five.

He also introduced stricter guidelines for international travelers - including a COVID test within 24 hours of their flight to the U.S. - extended mask mandates on public transport until March 2022, and said insurers would cover the cost of at-home tests for Americans.

His speech came an hour after the CDC confirmed a second case of the Omicron super-strain had been found in the US, this time in a vaccinated Minnesota man who attended an anime convention in New York last month. The first was detected in California on Wednesday.

The Omicron super variant is at least 2.4 times more likely to reinfect someone than the original strain, according to the first real-world data coming out of South Africa where it is fuelling a meteoric rise in infections.

Government researchers say there has been 35,670 reinfections since the beginning of the pandemic and the risk of reinfection fell to 0.7 during the Beta-fuelled second wave last winter and the third Delta surge this summer compared to the first wave.

South Africa has experienced a massive surge in Covid cases since the variant was first discovered, with the nation reporting 11,535 new cases on Thursday after averaging less than 500 new cases per day only two weeks ago.

The news of the variant's spread in the U.S. comes on the heels of a holiday party in Norway that is believed to be the largest Omicron variant outbreak to date, with at least 50 vaccinated attendees testing positive.

Biden announces administration's plan to face Omicron variant
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The man had attended in event at

Biden has said the emergence of the new variant should not cause panic and insisted it will be beaten by more Americans getting boosters and vaccines and wearing masks indoors.

Republicans in recent days have attacked Fauci for thinking he is 'The Science' after claiming any criticism of him is 'dangerous'.


He also used his speech to attack the political conflict that has arisen with COVID, saying: 'This is a moment when we can put the divisiveness behind us, I hope'.

'This variant is a cause for concern, but not panic,' Biden assured. 'We're going to fight this variant with science and speed, not chaos and confusion.' 

'The actions I'm announcing are ones all Americans can rally behind, and should unite us against covid-19.'

In perhaps a jab to his predecessor, Biden said: 'We're better positioned than we were a year ago to fight covid-19.'

Biden also emphasized that his plan 'doesn't include shutdowns or lockdowns,' but the White House has left the door open for more restrictions and European nations such as Germany and the UK have already reacted with more restrictions.

He did not mention other controversial proposals, such as imposing a quarantine on incoming international travelers – an idea that got floated publicly but was left out. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said earlier Thursday that 'nothing is off the table' when asked about vaccine requirements for domestic travel.

The president said parents came up to him at Wednesday night's White House Hanukkah ceremony. He said parents were asking when they can get shots for three three year olds, with the government only approving shots for those over five right now.

The new requirements on travelers are, at least for now, stricter than some of the country's allies.

In the United Kingdom for example, fully-vaccinated travelers except for those coming from certain designated countries only need to take a covid PCR test on the second day of their trip. They're required to isolate until they get a negative result.

The day 2 testing requirement only sprung up earlier this week over Omicron concerns. 

However Ireland is choosing to take a stricter approach, requiring all fully-vaccinated arrivals to produce a negative antigen test within 48 hours before arrival or a negative PCR test within 72. Unvaccinated travelers only have the PCR option.

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