The US would require all airline passengers arriving from Britain to check unfavorable for the coronavirus inside 72 hours of their departure, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention mentioned on Thursday.
The transfer comes as a brand new extremely transmissible variant of the virus, which first appeared in Britain, has led nations to seal their borders to vacationers from there.
The brand new rule, which takes impact on Monday, will apply to People in addition to overseas residents, and would require passengers to indicate proof of a unfavorable end result on a genetic take a look at, generally known as a P.C.R., or an antigen take a look at.
“This extra testing requirement will fortify our safety of the American public to enhance their well being and security and guarantee accountable worldwide journey,” the C.D.C. mentioned in an announcement.
Passengers will likely be required to“present written documentation of their laboratory take a look at end result (in exhausting copy or digital) to the airline,” the C.D.C. mentioned, including that “if a passenger chooses to not take a take a look at, the airline should deny boarding to the passenger.”
The brand new guidelines have been a reversal for the Trump administration, which initially advised American airliners that the federal government wouldn’t require testing for vacationers from Britain.
United Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Strains had already introduced comparable insurance policies, requiring all passengers on their flights between Britain and the USA to submit proof of a unfavorable take a look at end result inside 72 hours of departure. British Airways had additionally been requiring unfavorable take a look at outcomes for passengers arriving in New York.
A number of of the airways introduced their insurance policies after a requirement from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York that passengers arriving from London to John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport would want to offer documentation of a unfavorable take a look at end result.
“We will’t let historical past repeat itself with this new variant,” Mr. Cuomo had written on Twitter.
Additionally on Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey mentioned that passengers arriving at Newark Airport would want unfavorable assessments inside 72 hours of departure to enter.
The American journey necessities are much less draconian than these of different nations in Europe and Asia, which barred all vacationers from Britain after the brand new coronavirus variant emerged. Experts are skeptical that journey bans can cease the unfold of the variant. In actual fact, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the highest U.S. infectious illness professional, mentioned there was an excellent likelihood that the variant was already within the nation.
“I don’t assume that that type of a draconian method is important,” he said of a travel ban on “PBS NewsHour.” “I feel we must always significantly think about the potential of requiring testing of individuals earlier than they arrive from the U.Okay. right here.”
A recent study by British scientists discovered no proof that the variant was extra lethal than others. However the researchers estimated that it was 56 p.c extra contagious. The nation additionally introduced a ban on journey from South Africa after the well being secretary, Matt Hancock, mentioned two folks had been found with another variant that emerged in the African country. One other variant has additionally emerged in Nigeria.
The British authorities this week put a lot of England beneath newly tightened restrictions on journey and socializing, and warned that faculties and universities would possibly quickly have to shut.
Vivian Wang contributed reporting.
