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A Transportation Safety Administration officer at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
Photographer: Sarah Silbiger / Bloomberg
Photographer: Sarah Silbiger / Bloomberg
The United States will require proof of a negative Covid-19 test before allowing visitors to enter the country from other countries, in a bid to help airlines locate at least some of their most lucrative international trips.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that it has approved the new anti-pandemic measure that will take effect on January 26.
It requires travelers to receive a test within three days before leaving for the United States and provide written documentation of a negative result. Airlines must confirm the information before allowing passengers to board, the CDC said in the statement.
“Testing does not eliminate all risk,” said CDC director Robert Redfield, “but when combined with a period of stay at home and daily precautions like wearing masks and distance social, they can make travel safer, healthier and more responsible by reducing the spread. on planes, at airports and at destination. “
The rules are based on a mandate starting Dec. 28 requiring negative tests for passengers traveling to the United States from the United Kingdom, following the discovery of a new variant of the disease that is spreading faster. Comprehensive testing would potentially help revive demand for travel between the United States and other countries, which has been stuck at less than a quarter of 2019 levels due to virus fears and government travel restrictions.
The new standard would apparently replace a entry ban for most non-US citizens from 28 European countries, imposed by the Department of Homeland Security after a presidential proclamation on March 11. DHS has addressed questions about this to the CDC.
The trade group representing major U.S. carriers, Airlines for America, wrote to Vice President Mike Pence on Jan.4 to support such a move, saying it would foster vital economic activity while protecting the safety of people.
“We believe that a well-planned program aims to increase traveler testing United States will pursue these goals in a much more efficient manner than the general travel restrictions currently in place, ”said the group known as A4A.
Some of the most lucrative air routes to Europe have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic. Passengers on U.S. carriers on transatlantic flights fell more than 85% last week compared to the same period a year ago, according to A4A data.
Canada said on December 30 that he would require air travelers entering the country to test negative.
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