All Arriving International Passengers To Show a Negative COVID-19 Test

In the near future, all passengers planning to travel to the US will need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to be allowed to board a US-bound flight.

The CDC already requires passengers from the UK to such a negative test currently and this will soon be expanded to include all countries of origin. The initiative is being put in place to stem the spread of the new strain of the COVID-19 virus which has been shown to be more contagious than the first.

With COVID already a widespread problem in the US with over 20 million reported cases and over 380,000 deaths these new measures are intended to prevent newer strains from reaching American soil.

The CDC is expected to put the order in place on January 26th. It will require passengers to show a negative test result within three days before their departure date and provide written proof of that result. Passengers who have had the virus previously recovered are also permitted to fly.

“Testing does not eliminate all risk,” CDC Director Robert R. Redfield said in a statement. “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.”