WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: The US set to lift all restrictions for fully vaccinated international travellers, including from India, from November 8 but they will have to show proof of a negative coronavirus test before boarding a flight to the country, according to an official statement.
The travel guidelines included protocols around testing.
To further strengthen protections, unvaccinated travellers - whether US Citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), or the small number of accepted unvaccinated foreign nationals - will now need to test within one day of departure.
And fully vaccinated travellers will continue to be required to show a pre-departure negative test taken within three days of travel to the US prior to boarding, the statement said.
Unvaccinated minors will need to test at the same time as the adults with whom they are travelling, three days with vaccinated adults and one day with unvaccinated adults, it said.
According to the statement, passengers will need to show their vaccination status, and the airlines will need to match the name and date of birth to confirm that the passenger is the same person reflected on the proof of vaccination; determine that the record was issued by an official source (e.g., public health agency, government agency) in the country where the vaccine was given and review the essential information for determining if the passenger meets CDC's definition for fully vaccinated such as vaccine product, number of vaccine doses received, date(s) of administration, site (e.g., vaccination clinic, health care facility) of vaccination.
Airlines must deny boarding to passengers who do not meet these requirements or those who test positive for COVID-19, it said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that for purposes of travel to the United States, vaccines accepted will include FDA approved or authorised and World Health Organisation (WHO) emergency use listed (EUL) vaccines.
The American travel industry has been asking for President Biden to lift the ban.
Japan announced it will ease border controls beginning Monday for fully vaccinated travellers excluding tourists, responding to requests from the business community following a rapid decline in infections.
Everyone entering Japan must be fully inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines that are recognised by the Japanese authorities.
Those eligible include travelers on short-term business visits of less than three months, as well as longer term visitors including foreign students and workers on so-called technical internship programs, with a 14-day quarantine requirement.
Schools and companies sponsoring them are required to submit documents detailing their activities and how they will be monitored.
The 10-day self-isolation for Japanese citizens and foreign nationals with reentry permits will be shortened to three days.
Japan shut its borders to virtually all foreign visitors in January, except for those with special permits and for humanitarian purposes.
Daily cases have sharply fallen since September, in a trend generally attributed to vaccinations and extensive mask-wearing.
About 73% of the population have been fully vaccinated.
Tokyo on Friday reported 25 cases, below 30 for the ninth straight day.
Nationwide, Japan had 158 confirmed cases Thursday for an accumulated total of 1.72 million, with about 18,300 deaths.
The easing of border controls is part of Japan's move to gradually resume social and economic activity.
The government is experimenting with package tours, at restaurants and sports events before further resumption of daily activities.
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara said Japan is to consider a possibility of allowing foreign tour groups by the end of the year after studying ways to control and monitor their activities.