Ten months after the coronavirus pandemic, the US will require all international travelers – including returning US citizens – to provide evidence of a COVID-19 negative test in order to board a flight into the country. The move will take effect on January 26th. after a new order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Travelers coming to the US from international destinations must now receive a virus test within three days of departure and share their negative results with their airline prior to a flight (antibody tests are not accepted). According to the CDC, documentation showing that you have recovered from COVID-19 is also sufficient for those who continue to test positive after recovery. The airlines are responsible for reviewing this documentation. If you choose not to test or provide your results, the CDC says the airline will have to refuse boarding.
The CDC also recommends retesting three to five days after arriving in the U.S. and quarantining at home seven days after traveling.
“Testing doesn’t eliminate all risks, but when combined with staying at home and everyday precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, travel can become safer, healthier and more responsible by reducing its spread on airplanes, airports and travel destinations “said CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield in the announcement.
First reported by the Wall Street JournalThe CDC’s announcement of universal tests for travelers entering the US expands on recent UK passenger tests, announced in late December, to help slow the spread of a more contagious variant of the virus. (The new strain has now been found in at least six US states.) Non-US citizens and non-permanent residents from Europe, the UK, and China are still barred from entry with or without a negative test.
Coronavirus and Travel: Everything You Need to Know
Earlier this month Airlines for america, The US government, which represents all major US airlines, urged the US government to replace the current travel restrictions for international travelers with a “global program that requires tests for travelers to the US”. Reuters reported. “We believe that a well-planned program that focuses on enhanced screening of travelers to the United States will be much more effective in promoting these goals than the current flat-rate travel restrictions,” said Airlines for America stated in his letter.
This test protocol has already been created implemented by some US states For domestic trips, shortened quarantine times with a negative result before the flight are taken into account. Hawaii requires negative COVID-19 results from a test conducted by an approved test partner with a 72-hour departure time, and some islands require additional testing on arrival, while travelers to Alaska must travel with evidence of a negative COVID-19 test which was performed within 72 hours of departure. In New York, travelers must now test within three days of leaving for New York and quarantine for three days upon arrival before performing a second test. The CDC’s announcement makes this the first nationwide testing guideline for international travelers in the United States
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