US President Joe Biden has said that any inbound travellers to the US will now need to take a covid19 test within one day of departure, regardless of vaccination status or nationality.

In a tweet on Thursday, Biden said, 'I'm announcing today that all inbound travellers must test within one day of departure - regardless of vaccination status or nationality. This tightened timeline provides an added degree of protection as scientists continue to study the omicron variant.'

The announcement comes days after the US banned travellers from several African countries, where the variant was first detected. Since then the variant has been detected in several European countries. The US recorded its first case yesterday.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday, indicating 'a very high level of covid19 in the country.' It advised US citizens to not travel to TT or to ensure they are fully vaccinated if they must travel here. It said even fully vaccinated travellers were at risk of getting and spreading covid19 variants due to the high levels in the country.

On Wednesday, Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne met with Hugo F Rodriguez, senior advisor, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, US State Department. Rodriguez said, notwithstanding the travel guidance currently being provided to US citizens, there are no country-specific measures being contemplated to limit the travel of fully vaccinated individuals from TT to the United States.