There’s a lot of bad information being passed around these days, and it’s really unfortunate. With the Omicron variant top of mind, the Biden administration yesterday announced new rules for anyone flying into the United States from another country. All flights departing after 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday, December 6 will have to abide by new testing rules set out on Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I’ve seen several stories by state that travellers need to be tested with 24 hours of their flight. But that’s not correct. The CDC website that shows the new Read more

It’s about to become a little trickier to visit the United States. President Joe Biden’s administration says that, starting some time next week, all in-bound international passengers will have to take a COVID-19 test within 24 hours of their departure. They’re also taking action to increase vaccination rates in the States, and extending the mask mandate for domestic flights and public transportation to March 18, 2022. The changes were announced Thursday as part of a broader plan to bolster the nation’s arsenal of tools in its fight against the virus as the world enters its third year of the pandemic, Read more

Two of the most popular destinations for Canadians and Americans are putting new testing rules in place. Tourism Ireland said today that all arrivals into the Republic – whether vaccinated or not – will need a negative Covid test result from tomorrow (Dec. 3) onwards. Those travelling with an antigen test result will need to have obtained it within 48 hours of departure, and it will have to be professionally administered. No self-administered tests will be accepted. Those with a PCR test result will have a longer pre-travel window of 72 hours. Persons arriving into the state from overseas who Read more

The government of Canada says arriving passengers at Canadian airports may need to isolate for three days while they await COVID-19 test results. The Trudeau government on Tuesday announced that all travellers coming into Canada from countries other than the U.S. will have to be tested for COVID-19 on arrival, even if they’re fully vaccinated. They also will have to isolate while they await their test results. The on-arrival test is in addition to the PCR test that Ottawa requires travellers to take within 72 hours of their scheduled flight departure for Canada. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos on Wednesday said Read more

Multiple reports out of the U.S. today suggest top officials in the Biden administration are considering a law that would require anyone who enters the country to be tested for COVID-19 the day before their flight. The U.S. also is considering forcing all travellers, including American citizens, to be tested again after they arrive, even if they ‘re fully vaccinated. CNN said top U.S. officials “were deliberating the potential changes Tuesday night and no final decisions have been made.” But the network also said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed in a statement that the agency is Read more

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Canada’s provincial premiers will discuss mandatory testing for visitors arriving from the United States. “We’re going to be super cautious; everything is on the table,” Ford told reporters today at the opening of a new hospital in Mississauga, Ontario. “We’ll sit down and discuss that.” “It doesn’t take much to get a test at the airport,” he said. Ford said he was pleased that the Trudeau government on Tuesday announced it will require on-arrival testing for all passengers coming from destinations other than the U.S. That’s in addition to requiring visitors and Canadians to be Read more