The United States has made it mandatory for all travelers from the United Kingdom to have a negative COVID test report. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the test should have been taken “no more than 72 hours before departure.”

The emergence of new variants of the coronavirus in the UK has pushed America to tighten its protection measures against the virus. The CDC imposed this requirement and President Donald Trump has given his approval.

On Thursday, the CDC stated that President Trump will sign the order on Friday and the rule will qualify for all travelers from Monday, Dec. 28.

Expressing concern on the UK’s analysis of the new variant being “up to 70 percent more transmissible than previously circulating variants” the CDC said that this rule would strengthen its efforts to protect the people of America.   The new testing requirement will also augment improved “health and safety and ensure responsible international travel.”

The CDC said that the airlines would be responsible for making sure all passengers are negative and can deny access to anyone who has not tested negative or refuses to be tested.

The COVID negative test rule is not new or surprising in the US. There have been similar rules applied for travelers to the US as well. Major airlines such as Delta and British Airways had made it mandatory to passengers to be COVID negative before they boarded the plane bound for New York. This rule was imposed based on a request from Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York.

Several countries have closed their doors to fights from the UK after new, contagious variants of the coronavirus were discovered in the country.