Negative int’l test-flight rule

President Biden on Thursday announced a COVID-19 “winter plan” that imposes new, but less strict than feared, international travel rules.

Air travelers to the US will have to test negative for the virus within one day of their flight, rather than within three days, but Biden opted against more draconian ideas reportedly under review amid fears about the potentially more contagious Omicron variant.

“We developed this plan and it doesn’t include shutdowns or lockdowns, but widespread vaccinations and boosters and testing a lot more,” Biden said in a speech at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland.

Biden’s team had considered forcing US citizens to do seven days of mandatory self-quarantine after returning from abroad and requiring them to test negative three to five days after arrival under threat of legal punishment, according to The Washington Post.

The new international travel rules will continue to allow air passengers to choose between more accurate PCR tests and less accurate rapid tests.