Flying to US: Negative COVID-19 Test Required

Traveling to the United States just got a little trickier.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced that all air passengers who hope to enter the US will have to get a negative COVID-19 test first. This new rule starts on Jan. 26.

This requirement comes as the nation is in another surge of cases and potentially more contagious variants of the virus are emerging around the world, the CDC noted.

“Testing does not eliminate all risk,” said CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield in a press release. “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."

The CDC is requiring air travelers to receive a viral COVID-19 test within the three days before their flight is supposed to depart for the US. They must also provide documentation of the test results to the airline or show that they have recovered from COVID-19. Airlines are not allowed to let passengers board planes if they have not provided documentation of a negative COVID-19 test.

US health officials are also recommending that travelers to the US stay home for a week after traveling and get another COVID-19 test three to five days after arriving at their destination.

The CDC said these recommendations will help prevent the spread of travel-related COVID-19 cases in US cities.

The US has reported more than 1.7 million new COVID-19 cases and over 4,000 deaths in the past seven days, according to the CDC.