Biden administration will raise restrictions on eight South African countries imposed last month due to concerns about the omicron Covid-19 variant which spread rapidly, a senior administrative official told Reuters.
Foreign citizens who are prohibited from the United States because they have been in one of the eight countries in the previous 14 days it will be permitted on US flights that are bound when 12:01 in the morning.
ET on December 31, the official added.
The United States on November 29 prohibits almost all non-US citizens who have recently been in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi in the “careful abundance” of the variant detected in South Africa .
The official public health institution has recommended lifting travel restrictions because it maintains them will not have a significant impact on US cases considering the extensive Currentus transmission, the belief that the omicron special vaccine will not be needed and that the existing vaccine and shooting.
effective.
“This pause of this trip has served its purpose.
This bought time to understand science, it gave time to analyze the variant,” said the official, who did not want to be identified because the decision had not been published, told Reuters.
“This is not intended so that Omicron comes out.
We know we cannot do that.
The point is to reduce the number of cases entered – in the early days and Sunday.” Restrictions have not prevented flights or Americans from returning from South Africa.
Top Dr.
Infectious Experts Anthony Fauci said on Monday that raised the limit is possible “because we have sufficient infection in our own country …
we allow people from other countries who have southern or more infections of South Africa.” President Joe Biden said to On Tuesday he was considering reversing limits.
This official emphasized the restrictions intended for a while and lifted it after about one month “sending a signal that is quite clear that there will be no significant penalty” to advance to disclose new variant information.
The United States only lifted restrictions on trips in South Africa on November 8 to take effect since the end of January to overcome the problem of Covid-19.
After Omicron, the United States tightened the testing rules for international travelers and extended the requirements to wear masks on airplanes and at the airport until March 18.
On December 6, the testing centers and prevention of disease (CDC) the rules of the tested testing for international air travelers who arrived in the United States, required them to get a negative Covid-19 test in one day of travel.
Under the previous rules, vaccinated international air travelers can present the negative test results obtained within three days from the day of departure.
The CDC last week began distributing free Covid-19 home test kits to international tourists on several airports.
CDC pushed – but not mandate – international air travelers to get a new Covid-19 test three to five days after arriving in the United States.
CDC last month booked a flight to reveal the passenger name and other information about those recently in eight South African countries.