Latest CDC Travel Requirements

[Dan]

So it seems a Rapid Antigen test fufills the requirement. $999 pesos is much better $2,400 pesos.

I’ll be getting it free from Nautilus in Cabo for going to Socorro with them. You may want to check around for Cozumel.

 

[TomZ]

I’ll be getting it free from Nautilus in Cabo for going to Socorro with them. You may want to check around for Cozumel.

I'll be at Scuba Club. I'll check around once we get there. I wanted a reservation ASAP, once I heard about the new requirement.

 

[Dan]

As we are preparing for our trip to Palau, one of my buddies alerting us about new travel requirement due to the new Omicron variant, that is:
We would need to get the antigen test within 24 hour of flying home from any foreign diving vacation.

President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We Battle COVID-19 this Winter | The White House

New Actions Aim to Get Americans Boosted for Even Greater Protection Against the Delta and Omicron Variants, Keep Schools and Businesses Open, and Help

www.whitehouse.gov

"...Strengthening global pre-departure testing protocols: Early next week, the United States will tighten pre-departure testing protocols by requiring all inbound international travelers to test within one day of departure globally, regardless of nationality or vaccination status. This tighter testing timeline provides an added degree of public health protection as scientists continue to assess the Omicron variant..."

 

[DivingChipmunk]

As we are preparing for our trip to Palau, one of my buddies alerting us about new travel requirement due to the new Omicron variant, that is:
We would need to get the antigen test within 24 hour of flying home from any foreign diving vacation.

President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We Battle COVID-19 this Winter | The White House

New Actions Aim to Get Americans Boosted for Even Greater Protection Against the Delta and Omicron Variants, Keep Schools and Businesses Open, and Help

www.whitehouse.gov

"...Strengthening global pre-departure testing protocols: Early next week, the United States will tighten pre-departure testing protocols by requiring all inbound international travelers to test within one day of departure globally, regardless of nationality or vaccination status. This tighter testing timeline provides an added degree of public health protection as scientists continue to assess the Omicron variant..."

Wondering if at-home OTC testing counts?
We are also preparing our trip to Maldives and this new rule is adding some stress. Just emailed them to ask how fast their PCR test turn around is.

 

[tursiops]

Wondering if at-home OTC testing counts?
We are also preparing our trip to Maldives and this new rule is adding some stress. Just emailed them to ask how fast their PCR test turn around is.

It only needs to be an antigen test -- results in just minutes -- not a PCR test, which might take days to get back. Tele-Proctored DIY tests are OK too. Look up eMed.

 

[Dan]

Wondering if at-home OTC testing counts?
We are also preparing our trip to Maldives and this new rule is adding some stress. Just emailed them to ask how fast their PCR test turn around is.

You shouldn’t worry about that. I was in Maldives on Emperor Leo last March. We got Antigen test right on the boat, the morning before we disembarked.

Trip Report - The Best of Maldives, 20-28 March, 2021

Summary This is a nine-day (March 20-28, 2021) liveaboard trip around central Maldives, named “The Best of the Maldives” route, with Emperor Voyager (20-21 March) and Emperor Leo (21-28 March). The itinerary, as shown in Table 1, includes 7 days of diving, 3 dives / day + 1 night dives, to a...

scubaboard.com

We are still waiting for a reply from Palau hospital, whether they will do Antigen test. So far they only do PCR. If Antigen is not available, then we’ll get that DIY test kit from eMed.

 

[DivingChipmunk]

@Dan and @tursiops Thanks for your helpful response.

I have another question: we will fly from Male to JFK wtih a 12-hour layover in CDG (Paris) through Air France. It's an overnight layover
and we will just stay at a hotel inside the international terminal, without entering the country.
Will we need anohter test before boarding the flight from CDG to JFK the next morning to full-fill the new 24 hour test requirement for entry into US? I went on CDC website and can't find an answer.

Thank you!

 

[tursiops]

@Dan and @tursiops Thanks for your helpful response.

I have another question: we will fly from Male to JFK wtih a 12-hour layover in CDG (Paris) through Air France. It's an overnight layover
and we will just stay at a hotel inside the international terminal, without entering the country.
Will we need anohter test before boarding the flight from CDG to JFK the next morning to full-fill the new 24 hour test requirement for entry into US? I went on CDC website and can't find an answer.

Thank you!

This is not an official answer!
If your test in Male is the day before your flight from France to the US, then I think you are OK. The stop is irrelevant; it is the 1-day-prior to departure for the US that is relevant, and I think that means from France to the US. Not 24h, 1 day. So if you test in Male on (say) Thursday, fly to Paris on Thursday and overnight, and fly to JFK on Friday, you are OK. It is a 1 day rule not a 24h rule.

Note that it is the airline(s) you are traveling on that control your admission to the US. So check first with your CDG-JFK airline and see what they will accept.

 

[DivingChipmunk]

This is not an official answer!
If your test in Male is the day before your flight from France to the US, then I think you are OK. The stop is irrelevant; it is the 1-day-prior to departure for the US that is relevant, and I think that means from France to the US. Not 24h, 1 day. So if you test in Male on (say) Thursday, fly to Paris on Thursday and overnight, and fly to JFK on Friday, you are OK. It is a 1 day rule not a 24h rule.

Note that it is the airline(s) you are traveling on that control your admission to the US. So check first with your CDG-JFK airline and see what they will accept.

Thanks for your quick response @tursiops .

Here is the timeline. And both legs of the flight are Air France. All the time is local time
Dec 30, Antigen Test at Male, Maldives
Dec 31 9am Male - 8pm CDG. Overnight at Air France hotel at international terminal .
Jan 1 8am CDG - JFK

So for the CDG-JFK flight (Jan 1) , my test at Male is NOT ONE day before, but TWO days before. (Dec 30).

I tried to call Air France customer service and could not get through..

 

[Dan]

Thanks for your quick response @tursiops .

Here is the timeline. And both legs of the flight are Air France. All the time is local time
Dec 30, Antigen Test at Male, Maldives
Dec 31 9am Male - 8pm CDG. Overnight at Air France hotel at international terminal .
Jan 1 8am CDG - JFK

So for the CDG-JFK flight (Jan 1) , my test at Male is NOT ONE day before, but TWO days before. (Dec 30).

I tried to call Air France customer service and could not get through..

You should be OK with the negative test result taken on Dec 30, leaving Male on Dec 31, according to the following CDC Covid test timing requirement for international travel:

Connecting or Delayed Flights​

“.. You do not need to be retested if the itinerary requires an overnight connection because of limitations in flight availability.”

COVID-19 and Travel

CDC travel recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

www.cdc.gov