US Makes COVID-19 Test for Air Passengers Necessary
COVID-19 testing requirements were updated by the US CDC for people traveling via airplanes from China, Macau, and Hong Kong on 28 December 2022.
It goes without saying that CDC is taking these steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the US at a time when COVID-19 cases seem to be rising in the PRC, i.e., the People’s Republic of China. Monitoring these statistics is essential to overcome the possibility of the spread of a new variant of COVID-19. The CDC will keep monitoring the surge and make adjustments to its strategy accordingly.
More About the New COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Air Passengers
From 5 January, 12:01 am Eastern Time, air passengers who are two years of age or older and coming from the PRC must get tested for COVID-19 two days before departing. Moreover, their test results must come back negative. Now, they have two options; take a PCR test, or go for an antigen self-test supervised by a telehealth service. Those who opt for a self-test also need to have approval from the Food and Drug Administration or some national entity.
Furthermore, the new testing requirements are for every air passenger without any exceptions.
These requirements are for air passengers coming from the PRC through a third-country transit, including even those who have a layover in the US while traveling to another country.
What’s important to note here is that people passing through Toronto Pearson International Airport, Incheon International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport while coming to the US will need to submit negative COVID-19 test results if they were in the PRC in the last 10 days. Plus, the test result must not be older than 2 days. The three airports mentioned here get the highest amount of air passengers from the PRC and Special Administrative Regions.
The CDC has claimed that it will keep monitoring the situation, take necessary measures, and update Americans on any new developments accordingly.
In case a passenger tests positive for COVID-19 more than 10 days before their flight to the US, they will have to submit recovery documentation of COVID-19 instead of a negative test result.
Airlines are instructed to either ask for a negative COVID-19 test result or recovery documentation before letting anyone on the plane. If passengers fail to comply, airlines must not let them board the plane.
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