Starting this Tuesday, people who wish to travel to the United States must present a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flight. Without this requirement, travelers older than two years will not be able to enter the country of the stars and stripes.
The foregoing is the framework of the institutional efforts by the United States to control the Pandemic, which is currently rampant in that country. The most recent data from Johns Hopkins University shows that this nation has registered more than 25 million infections by COVID-19 since the beginning of the Pandemic. And the death toll exceeds 410,000.
Hence, the President, Joe Biden, has made the fight against this Virus his priority since the first day of his administration, on the 20th of this month. Even from the moment when his electoral victory was certified.
“In addition to the use of masks, all those who travel to the United States from another country should take a test before getting on the plane and quarantine when they arrive,” Biden reported a day after his inauguration. However, an element on which there is still no clarity is related to the quarantine for these same travelers.
Initially, it was indicated that it was in force as of Tuesday 20th, but later it turned out that it was not. Consulted in this regard, the United States embassy in Costa Rica has no further information, except what is known about the negative evidence. Unofficially, several specialized media and blogs have hinted that the decision on the quarantine will be announced after February 4th.
What You Should Know About Testing
Regarding the negative evidence requirement, here is what you should know about it:
1. The test (PCR or antigen test) is required for visitors, US citizens, and legal residents.
2. This test must have been carried out three days before the trip.
3. If a person has had COVID-19, an official document certifying their recovery 90 days before the trip is recommended. “If you have recovered from COVID-19 in the last three months you will need both proofs that you tested positive in the last three months before your flight and a letter from your doctor indicating that you are authorized to travel,” declared the official spokesperson for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
4. If the person has already been vaccinated against COVID-19, they must still present proof that confirms this.
5. The test result can be requested by airline personnel before your boarding.
“Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers before boarding and must deny boarding to anyone who does not provide documentation of a negative test or documentation of having recovered from covid-19,” added the official.
America’s battle against the Virus
Biden, who at his inauguration said that the Pandemic is heading towards its “hardest and most deadly phase,” seeks to vaccinate 100 million people in 100 days. The president also hopes to increase the use of masks and tests, increase health personnel and offer economic relief to those affected by the restrictions. This was evidenced by several decrees signed the first day he arrived at the White House. “Our strategy is based on science, not politics, truth, not denial,” he said at the time.
On his side, the immunologist and presidential adviser Anthony Fauci pointed out that the United States “will comply with its financial obligations” with the World Health Organization (WHO) to which it returned by the decision n of Biden. The United States will also join the international Covax alliance. It is an initiative structured by the WHO to facilitate access to vaccines for the most disadvantaged countries.
