The U.S. government is expected to require all international air passengers to show evidence of a negative Covid-19 test before boarding flights to the country, people familiar with the matter said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plan to issue their order Tuesday, after weeks of discussions between federal agencies and the White House coronavirus task force. The warrant is expected to go into effect on Jan. 26, according to a person familiar with the case. The CDC and other officials were still finalizing the order.
The CDC order for universal passenger testing, including for US citizens returning from abroad, comes weeks after the Trump administration imposed a testing requirement on UK travelers over concerns about a more contagious strain of the virus detected there . Since then, the new species has been found elsewhere in the world and its presence in the US has been confirmed.
The US demand comes at a difficult time for the airline industry and international travelers dealing with a maze of various testing protocols and quarantine requirements around the world, including public health advisories urging people to stay at home.
US airlines have expressed support for the new requirement, but argued that more intensive testing protocols should replace travel restrictions and quarantines to reduce the spread of Covid-19.