U.S. will require negative coronavirus test for all airline passengers from U.K.

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday night issued a coronavirus testing mandate for American citizens and others flying from the United Kingdom, a move U.S. officials hope will thwart a new faster-spreading variant of the virus without banning passenger flights. The move could potentially affect tens of thousands of travelers per month but it stops short of an outright halt, as dozens of other nations, including Canada, have done.

The decision follows President Trump’s order in March barring entry to the U.S. by many foreign nationals who had been in the U.K. in the previous 14 days . “This additional testing requirement will fortify our protection of the American public to improve their health and safety and ensure responsible international travel,” the CDC said in a statement.

Passengers must get a viral test -- meaning one that detects current infections -- within three days of their flight, the CDC said. Travelers are required to provide airlines written documentation of the results. PCR or antigen tests are both considered acceptable. The order will be signed Christmas Day, and will be effective on Dec. 28. Officials in Washington took action after some state officials had loudly called for federal intervention.

On Monday, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said the U.S. should follow the lead of other countries and “halt travel until we know what we’re talking about and we know the facts.” Cuomo had also pressed airlines flying into New York to require testing, and he said this week that British Airways, Delta and Virgin Atlantic had agreed to do so. Airlines also have flights to Newark, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Philadelphia, and Seattle.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/us-will-require-negative-covid-test-for-all-airline-passengers-from-uk/2020/12/24/de265b60-43dc-11eb-975c-d17b8815a66d_story.html

[Rhiannon12866]

1. Yes! Necessary idea!

But who is choosing to come here right now??

[BumRushDaShow]

2. It seems to me that this is locking the gate after the horse got out

Most people who were traveling during this period (including those working overseas "coming home" for the holidays, who will eventually return back to their "home away from home" soon) were already here before this requirement goes into effect. And like what happened in the spring with the delay in looking at/banning travel from Europe, so too did they delay instituting some restrictions (in this case as a testing requirement). Guaranteed that the mutated virus is here now.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. I'm surprised that international travel coming in hadn't been prohibited before now

It's already been the better part of a year! And if it's those coming into New York, Governor Cuomo mandated quarantines for those coming from around 40 other states in time for last summer. Most other countries have banned Americans from entering for the duration, so who is traveling back and forth, anyway??

[BumRushDaShow]

7. I know you do have your regular business travellers and you do still have tourists

but I think the delay in restrictions is to help bolster the airlines versus keeping the country's infection rates down and trying to avoid some of these exotic mutations of the virus.

The UK doesn't have an outright ban but has/had a 2-week required quarantine period for Americans traveling there.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. That's also what Governor Cuomo required for out-of-state visitors to New York

Though from all the out-of-state license plates I saw over the summer, I wondered how it was enforced. And I thought that pretty much any other country had prohibited visiting Americans now. Of course, I wonder why anyone would be foolish enough to take the chance, but we've learned how people are and last night on MSNBC they had yet another expert predicting another dangerous spike a couple of weeks after Christmas/New Year's.

[IsItJustMe]

14. I agree. As usual, too little, too late.

It may still reduce the speed of the spread though.

[sheshe2]

3. Other countries have banned their travel.

We have done nothing as usual. Trump is allowing the spread. He wants us all to die. Herd mentality my ass.

I can't read the article it is pay to read and right now will not pay for extras. My money goes to food banks.

Thanks BRDS...my comment it is not on you, I am just pissed.

Hug

[BumRushDaShow]

4. In other words

he is "leading from behind".

[sheshe2]

5. True dat.

Love you my dear.


'


Merry Christmas

[LudwigPastorius]

9. Well, that's doing something, I guess, but it's probably too late.

The U.K. variant is probably already over here because it has been detected in Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Iceland and Australia.

So, unless we're planning on sealing off travel from the rest of the world, we will have to deal with it...now or later.

[a la izquierda]

10. It's been detected since September.

It’s probably in the US. I live in England now and wondered if the explosion of cases in the States could be from this variant.

My area moves to Tier 4 tonight. I wish the idiot Tories would just declare a national lockdown.

[Doodley]

11. Testing after arriving here is too late. I'd prefer a 15 minute test BEFORE getting on the plane.

[Ms. Toad]

15. The 3 day is within 3 days prior to boarding.

Similar to the requirements generally imposed for surgery.

The U.S. will require all air passengers arriving from the United Kingdom to test negative for Covid-19 before their departure after the identification in the U.K. of new coronavirus variants

.

Still not good enough - since they could have been exposed but not yet be far enough along to test positive yet. They really need to quarantine for 10-14 days after arrival and then have a 2nd negative test.

But the test is BEFORE getting on the plane.

[Layzeebeaver]

12. As an american living in the U.K....

I don't think such a ban will have much effect.

The virus is currently mutating. It will mutate regardless of travel restrictions. The chance of a new mutation popping up somewhere is equal across the entire globe.

I bet the U.S. already has this or other mutations right now. I would also bet the U.S. will develop (or already has) a number of other new mutations locally.

The U.K. was the first to detect one of the mutations. The E.U. pulled the plug on U.K. travel, but it is easy to assume that the mutation is already widespread across Europe (The Netherlands for example is quietly admitting that they probably already have it). Also, the confluence of the Brexit trade deal and Matt Hancock's idiotic statement regarding the mutation being "out of control" should not be discounted. Border closures were very likely used as a tactical tool to drive home the trade deal in my opinion.

On a personal note, I would love to travel back to the U.S. to visit friends and family. But I won't do it. Not until the virus is under control. And when I say virus, you know I'm doing so with a double meaning!

[They_Live]

13. Too late, again.

It's already here.