The United States in the next few weeks will begin requiring all inbound travelers on international flights to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced.
CDC director Robert Redfield on Tuesday signed an order, effective Jan. 26, requiring all air passengers entering the United States to show proof of a negative test taken within three days of their flight. Airlines will have to deny boarding to any passenger that cannot provide that documentation.
The CDC since late December has required negative tests for travelers arriving from the United Kingdom, following the discovery of a more communicable variant of Covid-19 spreading in the country. While that variant since has appeared in several different areas of the United States as well, the testing requirement could prevent the arrival of other variants and could slow the surging infection numbers in the United States, according to the CDC.
The CDC also is recommending passengers get tested again within three to five days of their arrival and stay home for seven days upon arrival. "Testing does not eliminate all risk, but when combined with a period of staying at home and everyday precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, it can make travel safer, healthier, and more responsible by reducing spread on planes, in airports, and at destinations," Redfield said in a statement.
Entry restrictions also remain in place for most foreign nationals traveling to the United States who have been in the United Kingdom, the European Schengen area, China, Brazil, Ireland and Iran within a 14-day period prior to arrival.
United Airlines in a statement regarding the CDC's order said that it "already has procedures in place to comply with similar orders for international jurisdictions, and we will plan on expanding those in light of this new mandate. Additionally, United is actively working to introduce new technologies and processes to make navigating these testing requirements easier both for our employees and our customers."