WASHINGTON—President Biden on Thursday announced plans to tighten up Covid-19 testing timelines for travelers entering the U.S. and extend a mask mandate on airplanes and other public transportation as part of a broad administration effort to combat the Omicron variant.
International travelers coming to the U.S. will have to test within a day of departure, regardless of vaccination status, rather than the 72 hours currently required for vaccinated travelers, Mr. Biden said. The new testing rules will apply both to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals flying into the country and are expected to take effect early next week, the White House said.
