Us-bound travelers required to present negative viral test 24 hours before travel

TRAVELERS from the Philippines to the US are now required to present a negative viral test from Covid-19 taken within 24 hours before flight and because of that, they should ensure with their testing provider first if they can commit to deliver to release the results hours before their flight, the US Embassy in Manila announced on Wednesday.

In an advisory, the Embassy said this newest timeframe for test requirement will be imposed to travelers two years and older, regardless of vaccination status and citizenship.

The Embassy said PCR or antigen tests are available for US citizens in the Philippines but “may be limited, and test results may be delayed, because of an increase in demand for Covid-19 testing.”

“Testing capacity and the ability to provide timely results prior to travel may be constrained in certain locations in the Philippines. US citizens may experience delays in scheduling Covid-19 antigen and RT-PCR tests, as well as delays in delivery of results from these tests, due to a recent significant increase in demand for Covid-19 testing. These delays, which have occurred in other countries during spikes in Covid-19 infections, could continue for the next two to four weeks,” the Embassy said in a separate advisory.

To prevent further delays in testing, Americans are likewise advised to review the requirements of their testing provider, including identification cards and payment options. They are also directed to check if their testing provider of choice is accredited by the Philippine Department of Health: https://doh.gov.ph/licensed-covid-19testing-laboratories.

If travelers to the US have just recovered from Covid-19 within 90 days prior to their flight, they may be exempted from the 24-hour viral test. Instead, they will be required to provide documentation from a licensed health-care provider that they have recovered from coronavirus and the positive Covid-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the f light’s departure from the Philippines.

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention had earlier required all foreigners—except US lawful permanent residents, or holders of immigrant visa—coming to the US to be fully vaccinated.

The US is imposing stringent measures following a surge of cases brought by the Omicron variant worldwide. The US likewise has registered an average of 700,000 to 800,000 Covid-19 cases daily.