[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 1 (Monday, January 3, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 149-150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28534]



[[Page 147]]

Vol. 87

Monday,

No. 1

January 3, 2022

Part II





The President





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Proclamation 10329--Revoking Proclamation 10315
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  Federal Register / Vol. 87 , No. 1 / Monday, January 3, 2022 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 149]]

                Proclamation 10329 of December 28, 2021

                
Revoking Proclamation 10315

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization 
                (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus 
                Evolution announced that the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) 
                variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes 
                coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), constitutes a 
                variant of concern. The WHO further reported that the 
                number of cases of this variant appeared to be 
                increasing in almost all provinces in the Republic of 
                South Africa. On the same day that the WHO classified 
                the Omicron variant as a variant of concern, and based 
                on the recommendation of the Centers for Disease 
                Control and Prevention (CDC), within the Department of 
                Health and Human Services, I issued Proclamation 10315 
                of November 26, 2021 (Suspension of Entry as Immigrants 
                and Nonimmigrants of Certain Additional Persons Who 
                Pose a Risk of Transmitting Coronavirus Disease 2019). 
                That proclamation generally suspended and restricted 
                the entry into the United States of noncitizens of the 
                United States (``noncitizens'') who were physically 
                present within the Republic of Botswana, the Kingdom of 
                Eswatini, the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Republic of 
                Malawi, the Republic of Mozambique, the Republic of 
                Namibia, the Republic of South Africa, and the Republic 
                of Zimbabwe during the 14-day period preceding their 
                entry or attempted entry into the United States. I took 
                that action to slow the spread of the Omicron variant 
                into the United States and to enable the United States 
                to implement appropriate mitigation measures while new 
                information emerged about the variant.

                Having learned more about the Omicron variant in the 
                past several weeks, the CDC now recommends lifting the 
                travel restrictions imposed in Proclamation 10315. 
                Since I issued that proclamation, our Nation's health 
                officials, in collaboration with the South African 
                scientists who originally reported the variant, have 
                made substantial progress in understanding the Omicron 
                variant. Importantly, scientific experts have 
                determined that people who are vaccinated against 
                COVID-19 are protected against severe disease and 
                hospitalization from the Omicron variant. Moreover, the 
                Omicron variant has now spread to more than 100 
                countries, and it is prevalent in the United States. At 
                the same time, my Administration has made international 
                travel to the United States from all countries safer in 
                the time since I issued Proclamation 10315. In 
                particular, the CDC has shortened the timeline for 
                required pre-departure COVID-19 testing for fully 
                vaccinated travelers from no more than 3 days prior to 
                travel to no more than 1 day. As a result, 
                international air travelers to the United States from 
                all countries, regardless of citizenship or vaccination 
                status, must take a COVID-19 test within 1 day of 
                departure and show a negative test result before they 
                board a flight to the United States. That requirement 
                has strengthened the already stringent international 
                travel protocols that my Administration has imposed, 
                including requirements for noncitizens to be fully 
                vaccinated, subject to limited exceptions, and for 
                travelers to wear face masks on commercial conveyances 
                and at United States transportation hubs.

                In light of these changed circumstances, and based on 
                the recommendation of the CDC, I have determined that 
                it is in the interests of the United

[[Page 150]]

                States to revoke Proclamation 10315. The travel 
                restrictions imposed by that proclamation are no longer 
                necessary to protect the public health.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States, by the authority vested in me by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, including sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the 
                Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 
                1185(a), hereby find that, except as provided in 
                Proclamation 10294 of October 25, 2021 (Advancing the 
                Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 
                Pandemic), or any other applicable proclamation, the 
                unrestricted entry into the United States of persons 
                described in section 1 of Proclamation 10315 is no 
                longer detrimental to the interests of the United 
                States. I therefore hereby proclaim the following:

                Section 1. Revocation. Proclamation 10315 is revoked.

                Sec. 2. Review of Agency Actions. The Secretary of 
                State, the Secretary of Transportation, and the 
                Secretary of Homeland Security shall review any 
                regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and 
                any other similar agency actions developed pursuant to 
                Proclamation 10315 and, as appropriate, shall consider 
                revising or revoking these agency actions consistent 
                with the policy set forth in this proclamation.

                Sec. 3. Effective Date. This proclamation is effective 
                at 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on December 31, 
                2021.

                Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this 
                proclamation shall be construed to impair or otherwise 
                affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or 
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (b) This proclamation shall be implemented 
                consistent with applicable law and subject to the 
                availability of appropriations.
                    (c) This proclamation is not intended to, and does 
                not, create any right or benefit, substantive or 
                procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any 
                party against the United States, its departments, 
                agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or 
                agents, or any other person.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-28534
Filed 12-30-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P