[ad_1]
FILE PHOTO: Passengers arrive on a flight from London amid new restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at JFK International Airport in New York City, USA, December 21. 2020. REUTERS / Eduardo Munoz / File Photo
WASHINGTON – The US government will require all airline passengers arriving from the UK to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure starting Monday amid concerns about a new variant of coronavirus that could be more transmissible.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement Thursday that all airline passengers arriving from the UK must test negative to fly to the United States. The decision was a sea change after the Trump administration told US airlines on Tuesday that it did not plan to require any testing from passengers arriving in the UK.
The CDC said the order would be signed on Friday and will go into effect Monday.
The decision follows the emergence of a highly infectious new variant of the coronavirus in Britain that has prompted many countries to close their borders to travelers from there.
A representative from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Friday that they are “in close contact with the US authorities and are working urgently to minimize disruptions as much as possible”, adding the FCDO will periodically update the online tips.
“British travelers should follow the guidance of the US authorities and speak with their airlines for the latest travel options in the first place.
On Thursday, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines said they required all passengers on flights from the United Kingdom to the United States to submit a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure.
The CDC said late Thursday that passengers must test negative through a PCR or antigen test. The CDC said that “viruses are constantly changing through mutation, and preliminary analysis in the UK suggests that this new variant may be up to 70% more transmissible than previously circulating variants.”
The CDC noted that in March President Donald Trump suspended the entry of almost all foreign nationals who visited the United Kingdom in the past 14 days, reducing air travel to the United States from Britain by about 90%.
Under the new policy, passengers departing from the United Kingdom for the United States must provide written documentation of their lab test result (paper or electronic) to the airline, the CDC said. Airlines must confirm negative test results for all passengers before boarding. If passengers choose not to take the test, the airline must deny boarding.
Delta’s policy, extended from its decision Monday to require inspections on UK flights to New York’s JFK Airport, takes effect on December 24, while United’s requirement begins on December 28.
On Monday, the three airlines that fly from London to JFK Delta, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, accepted a request from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to screen passengers from Britain.
American airlines have already slashed flights to the UK, as well as the rest of Europe.
Read next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
