US Will Require a Negative Coronavirus Test from UK Travelers
The new rule, which takes effect on Monday, will apply to Americans as well as foreign nationals.
The United States will require all airline passengers arriving from Britain to test negative for the coronavirus within 72 hours of their departure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.
The move comes as a new highly transmissible variant of the virus, which first appeared in Britain, has led more than 50 countries to seal their borders to travelers from there or to impose restrictions on their arrival.
The new rule, which takes effect on Monday, will apply to Americans as well as foreign citizens, and will require passengers to show proof of a negative result on a genetic test, known as a P.C.R., or an antigen test.
“This additional testing requirement will fortify our protection of the American public to improve their health and safety and ensure responsible international travel,” the C.D.C. said in a statement.
US Will Require a Negative Coronavirus Test from UK Travelers
Passengers will be required to “provide written documentation of their laboratory test result (in hard copy or electronic) to the airline,” the C.D.C. said, adding that “if a passenger chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger.”
The new rules were a reversal for the Trump administration, which initially told American airliners that the government would not require testing for travelers from Britain.
United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines had already announced similar policies, requiring all passengers on their flights between Britain and the United States to submit proof of a negative test result within 72 hours of departure. British Airways had also been requiring negative test results for passengers arriving in New York.
The announcement from the United States adds another layer of difficulty for Britons hoping to travel. Nonessential travel will also be banned within much of Britain starting on Saturday, new restrictions further limit socializing, and schools and universities might soon have to close.
