Omicron Covid Variant and US Immigration Impact Thoughts?

[Mike E 11,741]

19 minutes ago, millefleur said:

For unvaccinated people who were US citizens, the test had to be less than 24 hours

So there was an average of 12 hours for people to be exposed.  
 

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Is it possible the PCR tests just do not work

It’s well known these tests can have false positives and false negatives. 
 

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Are people faking PCR test results?

Of course.  

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I'm just so confused. If we have technology that is supposed to detect infections why is it still not under control?

Even if the tests were 100 percent accurate and people were 100 percent honest, unless the people taking the test are physically isolated while waiting for results, that leaves a window for infection.  
 

One of the Big Lies we were told was that 6 foot physical distancing was enough to prevent transmission. So Australia with its rigid controls and mandatory quarantines on inbound travels was surprised. Security  guards posted  dozens of feet down the hall away from the doors of rooms holding guests in quarantine hotels became infected by those guests.  All it took was a moment when room service left a tray of food and the infected guest opened  the door to fetch the food.  
 

This six foot Big Lie is laughable considering governments allow passengers in commercial aircraft to be packed shoulder to shoulder and they can remove their useless cloth and surgical masks at times on the flight.  
 

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I assume the UK would've had similar testing/vaccine requirements so how the heck did it get there? It's just baffling to me.

Does the UK test everyone who arrives? Does it quarantine  all arrivals until there is both a negative test and two weeks elapsed. If not, easy to see how it got there.  
 

Zero Covid for an illness that is under 1 percent fatal is a pipe dream. Society will never accept that in the long run.  

Edited November 27, 2021 by Mike E

[millefleur 5,047]

3 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Does the UK test everyone who arrives? Does it quarantine  all arrivals until there is both a negative test and two weeks elapsed. If not, easy to see how it got there.  

So I guess within just a matter of days or weeks we'll see this variant show up here in the US. It just seems impossible to control without going full on draconian the way Taiwan and other countries with extreme measures have done.

[Boiler 45,733]

The current measures have been described as xenophobic.

 

Seems 10% of the passengers on one jet arriving in Holland had it.

[Mike E 11,741]

18 minutes ago, millefleur said:

So I guess within just a matter of days or weeks we'll see this variant show up here in the US. It just seems impossible to control without going full on draconian the way Taiwan and other countries with extreme measures have done.

It’s all already here.  And it’s been here for weeks.  
 

You are correct that it is impossible to control. 

Edited November 27, 2021 by Mike E

[Merica-n 65]

Physically present in the listed countries in the last 14 days so staying in a third country for 14 days is viable.

 

K-visa don't appear to have an exception.

 

Full Text of Proclamation here for those interested:

 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/11/26/a-proclamation-on-suspension-of-entry-as-immigrants-and-nonimmigrants-of-certain-additional-persons-who-pose-a-risk-of-transmitting-coronavirus-disease-2019/

Edited November 27, 2021 by Merica-n

[slavaskii 886]

Aaaand now we have it in Germany (Bavaria) and Italy. 

 

The politicking behind this has led us to complete and utter failure. We closed borders with South Africa and patted ourselves on the back, but criticized the previous administration for doing the same. We closed borders with the Schengen Zone for a year while we had more infections and deaths than anywhere else. 

 

At this point, if you're going to implement a travel ban, you're already far too late. We're going on two years and the one thing we've learned is that it's impossible to contain COVID. Omnicron will make its rounds through SA and we'll still have bans on them months later because they were the country that first detected it. It feels like Russian Roulette at this point - oh no, we found the Xi variant? And it's from Timbuktu? Well let's ban Mali and the surrounding countries, good work boys, that'll stop a virus that likely mutated 2+ weeks ago.

 

All leaders need to sit around a table, address their collective failures, and come up with a new strategy. I cannot believe we're this far along with COVID and we're coming up with nothing new. Even if that solution is to declare this an endemic and admit defeat.

[Mike E 11,741]

2 hours ago, Merica-n said:

Physically present in the listed countries in the last 14 days so staying in a third country for 14 days is viable.

 

K-visa don't appear to have an exception.

 

Full Text of Proclamation here for those interested:

 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/11/26/a-proclamation-on-suspension-of-entry-as-immigrants-and-nonimmigrants-of-certain-additional-persons-who-pose-a-risk-of-transmitting-coronavirus-disease-2019/

NIEs cone from State and I predict State will give F and K blanket NIEs. 

[millefleur 5,047]

2 hours ago, slavaskii said:

All leaders need to sit around a table, address their collective failures, and come up with a new strategy. I cannot believe we're this far along with COVID and we're coming up with nothing new. Even if that solution is to declare this an endemic and admit defeat.

Also given that the tests show false results, there's probably even more out there that is going undetected. It seems like all you need is just 1 undetected case to start the spread, so it really feels like a lost cause.

[millefleur 5,047]

19 hours ago, Kor2USA said:

They also found a case in Israel. 

SA finally managed to get off the red list in the UK and now they are back on it! People in SA are angry

People should be angry, it's like @slavaskii said they ban the country where it originated but by that time it's already spread around the world so much, does it even matter? It's not like ebola or other viruses where we have obvious visual cues to tell someone is infected. Until some kind of foolproof detection becomes available, I fail to see how we can get a virus like this under control.

[Boiler 45,733]

Most of it is posturing to appease the masses.

[Redro 4,611]

7 hours ago, millefleur said:

To be honest I'm kinda shocked how this even left SA so quickly. I traveled abroad recently and everyone was requiring vaccine certificates AND negative PCR tests no older than 72 hours. For unvaccinated people who were US citizens, the test had to be less than 24 hours. The airlines would not let people even get a boarding pass without showing the proper documentation. There's no easy peasy check in anymore with the instant boarding pass on your phone/print out at home, you have to go to the check in counter and get all documents checked and only then do they hand over the boarding pass.

 

Is it possible the PCR tests just do not work and someone can be infecting/spreading despite a negative result? Are people faking PCR test results? I'm just so confused. If we have technology that is supposed to detect infections why is it still not under control? I assume the UK would've had similar testing/vaccine requirements so how the heck did it get there? It's just baffling to me.

The Hong Kong traveler left South Africa November 11 and tested positive November 13. They have now apparently infected a traveler from Canada. Apparently it was transmitted because a hotel door was open. 

The first case identified was from Botswana and was collected November 11. 

 

What is the situation like in the States? Are people required to test and  self isolate when they arrive or are there no restrictions on movement?

If none, I wouldn't be surprised if omicron is already in the States. It'll just take a few days to identify the first couple of cases. 

 

https://nationalpost.com/news/world/hong-kong-confirms-two-cases-of-new-covid-19-variant-one-travelled-from-canada

 

 

[Neo16521 0]

Quick question to anyone knowledgeable about this.  Seems to be the right forum;

 

This line on the proclamation;

 

(iii)   any noncitizen who is the spouse of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident

 

What does this mean exactly?

 

I married my wife in Namibia this past October and as soon as I got back we submitted the i-130.  Does that count what the US considers as a "spouse" or is it only when the CR1 visa has been given?

 

Thank you in advance!  

[Redro 4,611]

3 minutes ago, Neo16521 said:

Quick question to anyone knowledgeable about this.  Seems to be the right forum;

 

This line on the proclamation;

 

(iii)   any noncitizen who is the spouse of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident

 

What does this mean exactly?

 

I married my wife in Namibia this past October and as soon as I got back we submitted the i-130.  Does that count what the US considers as a "spouse" or is it only when the CR1 visa has been given?

 

Thank you in advance!  

It counts. Your wife can visit the States if she has a B1/B2 visa. 

She just needs to travel with the marriage certificate. 

Several members from Europe were traveling to the States on ESTA with their marriage certificate and no pending immigrant benefit. 

Edited November 27, 2021 by Kor2USA

[millefleur 5,047]

5 minutes ago, Kor2USA said:

What is the situation like in the States? Are people required to test and  self isolate when they arrive or are there no restrictions on movement?

If none, I wouldn't be surprised if omicron is already in the States. It'll just take a few days to identify the first couple of cases. 

There's no enforcement here outside of vaccine requirements and PCR tests. For air travel, PCR tests are done prior to boarding at outside labs that each person has to do on their own, there's no additional testing that is required after, not even rapid testing. I assume if someone has obvious symptoms like a fever or coughing they might get extra scrutiny at the airport/border but as long as you have a negative test/vaccine paperwork, there's nothing else they look for as far as I know.

 

It appears to me they have put 100% faith in the PCR tests. If you have a negative result, you are cleared for entry. If you get a positive result, you have to wait to fly until you get a negative result. I have not heard of any self-isolation or quarantine whatsoever happening here in the States for travelers. No restriction on movement at all.

 

I suppose even if someone here got Covid, they still can't force that person to quarantine. They can tell you to self isolate/stay at home and maybe you'll get banned from going to a doctor's office/certain places for a few weeks but there's no way to really enforce it here from what I've seen. There's no field hospital or hospital wing where they are officially quarantining people. There were some field hospitals set up at the very early days of the pandemic (so years ago) and I think they all stopped functioning a long time ago. Only the very sick end up in hospital quarantines here.

 

[Boiler 45,733]

Certainly Denver Airport requires you to wear a mask.