Newsman: United States will now require all air travelers 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. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said “This additional testing requirement will fortify our protection of the American public to improve their health and safety and ensure responsible international travel.”
CDC also said it would require evidence of a negative result from a test “no more than 72 hours before departure.” It will be up to the airlines to confirm results before boarding, and to deny boarding to any passenger who chooses not to take a test, the CDC said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the change late Thursday, saying in a statement that President Donald Trump would sign an order Friday to take effect Monday.
However, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo already has imposed the before boarding negative tests requirement for U.S.-bound travelers arriving at the New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport by Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways.
CDC said in a statement Preliminary analysis in the U.K. suggests that this new variant may be up to 70% more transmissible than previously circulating variants according to the UK health officials.
The U.K. government imposed tough new restrictions last weekend after scientists said that a new coronavirus variant was spreading more quickly. Then on Wednesday, the British government announced that yet another variant had been detected in two people who had recently traveled from South Africa, adding to the concern.
