WASHINGTON — Happening Thursday, President Biden is set to make an announcement on new travel policies. This comes as the omicron variant has now been detected in the US.
There are several reports the president is set to extend the mask mandate on planes, trains and buses through March as the omicron variant is quickly spreading. The mask mandate for travel was set to expire in a month and a half from now, on January 18.
[ Omicron variant: What are the symptoms; are vaccines effective; what we know now ]
He is also encouraging more people to get vaccinated. A little more than 63% of people ages five and up are fully vaccinated and less than 23% of adults have gotten their boosters.
“We have the best vaccines in the world, the best medicines, the best scientists,” said President Joe Biden. “We’re learning more every single day, and we’ll fight this variant with science and speed.”
The president is also expected to announce new rules for international travel which could include a requirement that people be tested within 24 hours of flying to the US and possibly face quarantines.
The president is expected to make his announcement on his winter COVID plan this afternoon at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland.
[ Flight from South Africa diverted to Boston as travel ban takes effect ]
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