WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration is “actively” expanding mandatory COVID-19 tests for travelers on domestic flights in the US, a senior official from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.
During a telephone conversation with reporters, Dr. Marty Cetron, director of the Global Migration and Quarantine division at CDC, asked if new testing requirements for domestic travel could be applied. Cetron replied that “talks are underway and looking at what the types and locations of testing might be … We are actively looking at it.”
Last week, President Joe Biden ordered US agencies to make recommendations to “impose additional public health measures on domestic travel” and to consider new requirements for people crossing land borders. Reuters reported Friday that government officials said it would be possible to require negative COVID-19 testing before flying domestically.
“We realize that there has been a dramatic evolution and increase in both test platforms and test capacity. I think this is a very important part of our toolkit to fight this pandemic, ”said Cetron.
On Tuesday, new CDC rules came into effect requiring nearly all international air travelers aged 2 and over to submit a negative coronavirus test taken within three calendar days of the trip or proof of COVID-19 recovery to the To enter the United States.
In discussions with airline officials, the CDC has said it is considering requiring domestic testing as well. Some aviation officials are concerned that such requirements could limit the already weak demand for air travel.
The CDC said on Sunday it would not issue waivers to exempt travelers from some countries with limited testing capacity. Numerous US airlines had requested an exemption.
Acting Assistant Secretary of State Ian Brownlee told reporters that the CDC “was not issuing federal quarantine orders at this time,” but recommends quarantining itself for seven days after returning from a trip and upon arriving COVID-19 tests.
Brownlee said the “main message to US citizens traveling abroad remains the same: Now seriously reconsider going abroad. If you are abroad now, it will be more difficult to get home for a while. “
Reporting by David Shepardson, published by Rosalba O’Brien