And then, of course, there is the possibility of virus transmission throughout crowded airports and airplane environments, especially as the busy travel season is expected to create peak demand—just as the Omicron variant is starting to spread around the U.S. and throughout the world. Read on to learn about the latest rule from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) designed to mitigate the spread of COVID. RELATED: Delta Air Lines Just Made This Major Update for All December Travelers. Late on Dec. 2, the CDC issued a new set of rules that will require international air travelers arriving in the United States to demonstrate proof of a negative COVID test taken within one day of departure.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb This is a substantially shortened timeline from the previous set of rules, which mandated travelers landing in the U.S. show a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours (or three days) from the day of their flight departure, as long as they have also been vaccinated. (Travelers who aren’t vaccinated currently must show a negative COVID test taken within one day of departure.) The new rules go into effect on Monday, Dec. 6 at 12:01 am ET. RELATED: The CDC Just Banned You From Bringing This on Flights. According to the language of the new mandate, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, says the emerging Omicron variant triggered the order. “To reduce the introduction and spread of our current and future SARS-COV-2 variants into the United States at a time when global air travel is increasing, CDC must take quick and targeted action to help curtail the introduction and spread of the omicron variant into the United States,” the order reads. While previous orders have excluded vaccinated people or U.S. citizens, starting Monday, all international air travelers “regardless of vaccination status or country of origin” will be required to show a negative COVID test taken the day before they board their flight to the U.S. Exceptions are made for passengers who can present documentation of recovery. The order does not, however, require testing for travelers crossing into the U.S. from Canada or Mexico by way of land borders. RELATED: For more travel news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Per Reuters, the CDC hopes the shortened testing timeline will help the U.S. buy time as the new virus variant spreads in its early stages, and while little is known about its possible impact on public health and the operations of daily life around the globe. The variant has currently been found in at least 38 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with the scope of the highly contagious strain expected to spread broadly even as scientists attempt to study the variant’s many mutations and their effects. RELATED: Never Do This on a Plane, Infectious Disease Doctor Warns.
