“There is an active conversation with the CDC now,” Buttigieg told Axios. “What I can say is that it will be guided by data, science, medicine and the contribution of the people who will really have to do this.”
Buttigieg stressed that the “CDC is examining all of its options” in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett on Monday.
“What we do know is that it is the appropriate measure for international travel, people traveling to the United States due to some of these considerations. You know that I would say that the domestic scenario is very different, but you know that the CDC is always evaluating the that can best be done to keep Americans safe, “said Buttigieg.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said on Monday that screening US travelers to Covid-19 could be helpful. But she did not explain whether there are plans to test domestic travelers.
“To the extent that we have tests available to do the tests, first of all, I would really encourage people not to travel,” said Walensky during a briefing at the White House. “But if we are traveling, this would be another mitigation measure to try to slow the spread.”
When Buttigieg was asked if he supports the idea of requiring proof of vaccination against Covid-19 before air travel, he said that it depends on the CDC.
“So this is not a step that has been taken and, again, the CDC is really in the lead in deciding what the right measures will be.”
Will airports like LAX in Los Angeles handle Covid-19 domestic tests in the future? The Biden government is considering this.
Getty Images / Siegfried Layda
Home test vs. International
The discussion follows a CDC rule that came into effect in late January requiring Covid-19 negative tests for international travelers, US citizens and residents entering the United States.
The US Travel Association, the national body of the nonprofit industry, hailed this rule for travelers arriving in the country as “the key to reopening international travel”.
However, the group does not support the test requirement for domestic travelers.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian called mandatory testing for domestic travelers “a horrible idea”, citing few documented cases of Covid transmission on commercial planes and concerns that testing for air travelers would take away the testing capabilities areas of greatest need.
“This is not going to keep domestic passengers safer,” Bastian told CNN’s Poppy Harlow. “At the very least, it will keep people away from what they need to do in terms of starting to return not only for essential travel, but also to start recovering their lives.”
He said it would be a “logistical nightmare” that would delay the recovery of the entire hospitality industry.
Other groups raise concerns
The industry body Airlines for America also expressed concern about the possible test requirement for domestic air travel.
In a recent letter to the White House, the organization highlighted the risk-based measures to contain the Covid-19 transmission that the industry has adopted and research showing that the risk of infection during the flight is low.
“Given the strong scientific evidence that the risk of transmitting the Covid-19 on board an aircraft is very low, we believe that the requirement for testing for domestic air travel is unjustified,” says the letter.
“In addition, public health and economic data indicate that this policy would disproportionately prevent low-income travelers and rural Americans in small communities from traveling.”
A4A also echoed the US Travel Association’s concern that such tests would divert resources away from more urgent public health priorities.
Aircraft maker Boeing also opposes mandatory testing for domestic travelers and said the federal government should pay for testing if the requirement is adopted.
“The imposition of such a burden on the already besieged aviation industry has the potential for serious unintended consequences that will affect the entire economy,” said Stanley Deal, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Michael Delaney, Director of Aerospace Safety at Boeing, in a letter to the White House Covid-19 recovery team.
“If a test mandate is prescribed by Management, funding must also be provided to comply.”
Jacqueline Howard, Nick Neville, Andrea Diaz and Pete Muntean of CNN contributed to this report. Main picture of Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images