The US will require negative Covid tests for domestic international air travel
Passengers arrive on a flight from London amid new restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, December 21, 2020.
Eduardo Munoz | Reuters
The US will soon require airline passengers to prove that they recently tested negative for Covid-19 before traveling to the country, according to people briefed on the plan.
The measure, which aims to limit the spread of the disease, comes with record new cases being recorded.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirement for negative Covid tests, which were reported by the Wall Street Journal earlier, may apply on Jan.26, according to one person. The CDC, State Department, and Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Last month, the CDC began ordering negative Covid tests Passengers traveling from the United Kingdom. As a more contagious strain of the virus was discovered there, although it has since been discovered across the United States
International air travel remains extremely low due to the virus and travel restrictions preventing many foreigners from entering the United States
The number of international arrivals by air in December was down 76% from the previous year, with the number of non-citizen arrivals falling by 83%, according to American Airlines, a trade group that represents most of the major U.S. airlines.