The US would require all airline passengers arriving from Britain to check damaging 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 international locations to seal their borders to vacationers from there.
The brand new rule, which takes impact on Monday, will apply to Individuals in addition to international residents, and would require passengers to point out proof of a damaging outcome on a genetic check, generally known as a P.C.R., or an antigen check.
“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 a press release.
Passengers will likely be required to“present written documentation of their laboratory check outcome (in onerous copy or digital) to the airline,” the C.D.C. mentioned, including that “if a passenger chooses to not take a check, the airline should deny boarding to the passenger.”
The brand new guidelines had been a reversal for the Trump administration, which initially informed American airliners that the federal government wouldn’t require testing for vacationers from Britain. However on Monday, three carriers — British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Delta — acquiesced to a requirement from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York that passengers arriving from London to John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport would wish to offer documentation of a damaging check outcome.
The American journey necessities are much less draconian than these of different international locations in Europe and Asia, which barred all vacationers from Britain after the brand new coronavirus variant emerged.
A latest research 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’s additionally introduced a ban on journey from South Africa after well being secretary, Matt Hancock, mentioned two individuals had been found with one other variant that emerged within the African nation.
The British authorities this week put a lot of England underneath newly tightened restrictions on journey and socializing, and warned that faculties and universities would possibly quickly have to shut.