CDC makes COVID test results mandatory for all flights to the United States

With COVID-19 cases on the rise in the United States and abroad, there really is no good reason to travel abroad for fun at this time. But if you have an unavoidable need to travel to another country, you’ll need to prove you don’t have COVID before you return. The Centers for Disease Control instituted a new policy requiring anyone returning to the United States from overseas to provide a negative COVID test (or proof of recovery from the virus) before boarding a plane.

The policy will go into effect Jan. 26 and put the full responsibility on airlines to deny seats to passengers who do not comply or do not meet the requirements.

PCR testing or proof of recovery is required

the CDC order requires anyone traveling to the United States from overseas to provide proof of a negative test obtained no later than three days before their departure flight. If a traveler has tested positive for the virus within the past three months, they must provide proof of their recovery to a licensed health care professional or health official.

Antibody tests do not meet CDC rules and the announcement makes no mention of rapid tests. This is probably the best option for taking a PCR swab test if you have to travel internationally. If a traveler does not test negative within the required time frame, the airline is mandated to deny that traveler entry on the plane, in accordance with the CDC.

To view proof of test results, the CDC recommends bringing a “hard or electronic copy of their test results for review by the airline before you board and for potential review by public health officials after you arrive at the airport. United States.”

If you provide proof of recovery from COVID, the CDC asks travelers to adhere to the guidelines below:

You can travel instead with documentation of your positive viral test results and a letter from your health care provider or public health official stating that you have been authorized to travel. The positive test result and the letter together are called “recovery documentation”.

If you end up testing positive before your flight home, expect an impromptu quarantine at your vacation destination. Airlines are not likely to reimburse you for a missed flight due to a positive test. The rules apply to “all air passengers, aged 2 or older, traveling to the United States, including US citizens and lawful permanent residents,” the agency said.

Why travel internationally now?

International travel has plummeted during the pandemic, which is understandable. Americans still do not have the right to enter most of Europe and many destinations currently open to US travelers are found in the Caribbean, Mexico, South and Central America, and Africa, all of which impose their own varying levels of coronavirus restrictions on entry for travelers.

On December 28, the CDC began requiring travelers to the United States from the United Kingdom to produce a negative coronavirus test, although the directive now applies to all people destined for states.

Where do you get tested in a foreign country?

No matter where you are, you will need to be able to find a legitimate medical clinic with access to a support lab that provides legitimate results so that you can make sure you are following the guidelines for your return trip.

As USA today recommends, airlines and tourist offices can probably help you in this pursuit:

Seek advice from airlines, hotels, tourist bureaus, and healthcare providers in the coming weeks. Travelers to Hawaii must provide a negative test to enter the state and bypass a mandatory quarantine, and airlines and tourism officials have provided extensive details on testing options. American Airlines said it would do not provide tests for passengers.

People who have been vaccinated have yet to show test results

Given the early stages of the U.S. vaccination program, most people will not be vaccinated against COVID for some time. But even if you’ve been vaccinated, the CDC still wants you to be tested if you’re returning from overseas.

There is no timeline as of when these requirements could be lifted, but you can expect them to stay in place as the pandemic continues to hit the country (and the world).