On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced that as part of a stricter plan, a new variant of Omicron that has been discovered in a large number of cases in other countries will require negative COVID-19 tests for incoming overseas passengers.
On Thursday at DFW Airport, passengers Kelsey Salazar and Cori Randolph agreed that COVID-19 is serious.
Salazar said her father died of COVID-19 in February and Randolph survived her own case of the virus.
“My case was very bad. My husband had it too, ”said Randolph.
But they were still traveling via the airport, where international passengers may soon have to pass a COVID-19 test within a day of arrival.
Rick Seany of Farecompare.com said experienced international travelers should be aware of testing requirements, but the shorter time window for testing can create confusion.
“In a perfect world, we would have PCR tests that would be readily available anywhere. And I think that’s the big problem now. There just isn’t enough testing right now to run some of these tightened windows. I think it’s going to cause some mess, ”said Seany.
Dr. Nick Karr, director of the Cintra chain of clinics, said interest in testing has increased in north Texas as even vaccinated people can become infected.
Its chain, formerly called Sinai Urgent Care, has grown due to an increasing demand for tests with faster results that are now available for even the most reliable tests.
“Really testing seems like the best way to identify sick people, which has been the case since the pandemic began,” Karr said.
At Dynamic Travel in Southlake, owner Steve Cosgrove said sales are back to where they were before the pandemic started.
Although travel insurance is now popular too, customers are behaving very differently than they were at the start of the pandemic, according to Cosgrove.
“They just closed and ran and hid. This time we are still booking. The phones are still ringing. People are still leaving. “
Cosgrove said he was pleased that current plans did not include closures.
At DFW airport, passengers Salazar and Randolph said they are happy to travel but also support additional testing.
“It will definitely show who has it or not and who has to be quarantined and stay away from everyone else,” Salazar said.
The Biden plan also extends a mask mandate for travelers through March and promotes vaccination.
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COVID-19 Tests for Incoming Overseas Passengers Required in New Biden Plan
