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US May Expand COVID-19 Testing to Boost International Travel

United States News Airports + Flying
by Eben Diskin Dec 31, 2020

To boost overseas travel, the United States is considering expanding COVID-19 testing for international travelers as early as next week. Federal agencies have been talking with airlines recently about how to safely resume international travel as the pandemic is ongoing.

The CDC just ordered a testing requirement for travelers flying to the US from the United Kingdom due to the new strain of COVID-19, and presumably, something similar could be done for other countries as well.

Airlines for America, a lobbying group, said that they have been “advocating for the federal government to set a national standard on testing in order to lift travel restrictions. We are working collaboratively with federal authorities to restore international travel with pre-flight Covid testing.”

According to a statement by the CDC on Wednesday (as reported by Reuters), “Efforts are currently ongoing in the U.S. to assess the risk reduction associated with testing and other recommended preventative measures, determine what a feasible testing regime for air travel may look like, and gain some level of agreement on standards for a harmonized approach to testing for international air travel.”

Currently, the CDC recommends air travelers test negative for the virus one to three days before travel and again three to five days afterward.

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