The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just announced that it will start requiring all international travelers to present a negative COVID-19 test upon entering the United States. The order is expected to be implemented starting January 26.
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Needless to say, the CDC hopes the newly announced measure will help halt the spread of the virus, an effort that will work in tangent with current vaccination distribution programs.
It's important to note that the order also applies to U.S. citizens and not just foreigners entering the country.
Specifically, as per the CDC's official website, "all air passengers arriving to the U.S. from a foreign country [will be required] to get tested no more than 3 days before their flight departs and to provide proof of the negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight."
The airlines themselves will be required to confirm test results before allowing passengers on board. The CDC also mentions that the airlines must deny boarding to any passenger refusing to present proper documentation.
The order follows a similar one released by the CDC a few weeks ago, requiring all travelers from the United Kingdom to show proof of a negative test prior to boarding U.S.-bound flights. The latter decision seeks to mitigate the spread of a new, supposedly more contagious COVID-19 variant that has already spread across the U.K.
Looking ahead at what travel might look like in the near future, we're welcoming these safety-related decisions with open arms.
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