Biden's first decisions as US president 1:52
(CNN Spanish) -
Since the covid-19 pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization, authorities around the world announced travel restrictions and border closures that impacted the free movement of people.
And while more and more countries are beginning their vaccination programs so that sanitary restrictions can be relaxed, at the same time various nations have implemented requirements for travelers from abroad, with the aim of slowing the spread of the disease.
These requirements include having a negative covid-19 diagnosis and quarantining.
Although some nations have resisted imposing measures like these, the need to curb the constant increase in infections has led countries like the United States and France to join the list of places with these requirements.
In fact, on his first day as president of the United States, Joe Biden announced that his administration will require travelers to have negative tests and serve a quarantine upon arrival in the North American country.
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The measure will take effect on January 26.
It will require all airline passengers, both U.S. citizens and permanent residents, to submit a negative covid-19 test that has been taken within three days of travel.
As an alternative, travelers who have already contracted the coronavirus can provide documentation from a licensed healthcare provider that they have recovered in the 90 days prior to travel, the U.S. Embassy and consulates in Mexico indicate on their official site.
This requirement, the website adds, does not apply to travelers entering the United States by land or sea.
Neither to children under two years of age.
Other countries that require negative covid-19 tests to travel
France also announced similar measures for travelers on Friday.
And, although the internal European borders will remain open, according to official information, all travelers arriving in France from countries outside the European Union must present a negative PCR test less than 72 hours after being carried out in order to board a plane or ship.
If you do not have access to a PCR test in the country you are traveling from, the test will be done when you arrive in France.
Canada announced in late December that negative COVID-19 tests will be required of all air travelers.
The PCR test must be submitted prior to boarding a flight to Canada.
Once the traveler with a negative result arrives in the country, they must do a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
Other countries with similar measures are:
Australia
Japan
Spain
Cuba
Argentina
Chile
Italy
What are PCR tests?
Polymerase chain reaction tests, known as PCR, are the most common and accurate to determine if someone is infected with COVID-19.
These tests are done with a throat swab or sputum sample from a patient, which is a type of mucus that is produced in the lungs, and then amplify the sample in a machine and look for the unique genetic material of the coronavirus.