Passengers arrive on a flight from London amid new restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at JFK International Airport in New York, December 21, 2020.
Eduardo Munoz | Reuters
According to people informed of the plan, the US will soon require air passengers to prove that they have recently been tested negative for Covid-19 before flying to the country.
The measure, which aims to curb the spread of the disease, comes as new cases hit records.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s requirement for negative Covid tests, previously reported by The Wall Street Journal, could go into effect Jan. 26, according to one. The CDC, the State Department and the Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The CDC began demanding negative Covid tests for travelers flying from the UK last month because a more contagious strain of the virus was detected there, although it has since been found in the US.
International air travel remains extremely depressed due to the virus and travel restrictions that prohibit many foreigners from entering the US
According to Airlines for America, a trade group that represents most of the major US airlines, international air arrivals were down 76% in December from a year earlier, and by 83% to non-citizens.