US-bound passengers must do RT-PCR test within one day of departure

Dhaka: Starting December 6, air travellers flying to the United States from abroad need to show airlines proof of a negative Covid test result taken within one day of departure before being allowed to board. That includes US citizens and vaccinated travellers as well.

Earlier, vaccinated visitors, permanent residents and citizens had to show a test within three days of departure for the US.

The emergence of the omicron variant of Covid in southern Africa and its detection around the world has sparked a host of new travel requirements.

Three weeks after lifting a blanket pandemic travel ban on more than 30 countries, the Biden administration on November 29 banned visitors from South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Starting December 6, the US has implemented stricter testing requirements for inbound travellers, including US citizens, forcing travellers to make time and to budget for Covid tests closer to their departure date.

The Centers for Disease Control said specimens must have been collected one calendar day before departure. Both antigen and nucleic acid amplification tests, or NAAT, including PCR, results will be accepted.

The United States does not require that travellers test upon landing and entering the US. However, the CDC has expanded a programme to offer free, voluntary tests to travellers upon arrival to help detect variants, most recently the omicron variant.