The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week dealt a heavy blow to the airline industry, which is struggling to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
Although the CDC has issued a series of recommendations that allow vaccinated and low-risk people to have more freedom to meet, the Director of the CDC Rochelle WalenskyRochelle WalenskyOvernight Health Care: After a brutal year, is the United States getting close to normal? | CDC says it is safe for vaccinated people to meet indoors | Biden will give prime-time speech on the anniversary of the pandemic blockade. Nation takes baby steps to normalcy after year on CDC block: Vaccinated people can safely meet indoors without masks MORE said on Monday that the agency’s travel advice remains the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans: Don’t do this.
But some experts find this guidance confusing and the airline industry, while saying it will continue to work with the CDC, emphasized its efforts to prevent the transmission of coronavirus on board aircraft and its confidence that its approach is safe.
“We remain confident that this layered approach significantly reduces risk and are encouraged by the fact that science continues to confirm that there is a very low risk of virus transmission on aircraft,” said an Airlines for America spokesman. , which defends the main US airlines.
President biden
Joe BidenCNN: Bidens’ dogs removed from the White House Federal judge considers’ QAnon shaman ‘too dangerous to be released from prison Pelosi says the Capitol riot was one of the most difficult times of his career. MOST early in his term, he made wearing masks during air travel a federal mandate, rather than a requirement of United States airlines. The White House also recently stopped considering a test requirement for domestic air travel.
“We continue to work with the CDC and other relevant authorities to ensure that travel policies and measures are put in place that prioritize the safety and well-being of all passengers and employees,” said the spokesman for Airlines for America.
Delta, Southwest, United and American Airlines all referred to Airlines for America for comment.
Leana Wen, a professor of public health at George Washington University and a former health commissioner in Baltimore, called the guideline on Monday “too cautious.”
“Many families are separated from each other and need to travel to see each other. I am really confused as to why the travel guidance has not changed. Traveling is a very low risk – imagine if you are traveling in your individual car or even by plane – whenever everyone is wearing masks, the risk of coronavirus is very low, “she said.
The civil aviation industry did not ask for any changes in the policies for wearing masks, but asked for a set of criteria that could be used to adjust its travel guidelines.
“We continue to ask the CDC to establish and disclose a set of criteria that will be used to adjust its travel guidelines,” said an industry source.
Airlines for America and other industry groups asked the Biden administration this week to develop COVID-19 health credentials that include testing and vaccination information, led by the CDC, so that travelers can have identification verification and personal health records at hands.
The US Travel Association emphasized that overcoming the pandemic is the priority, but also that targets must be set to relax some restrictions.
“We think it is critical that the US public health authorities set goals to relax official travel guidance. The year-long pause in travel has kept people apart and caused serious damage to the economy and jobs, and with vaccine progress and encouraging case trends in many areas, it should be possible to consider a time frame for a broader reopening of the trip. ” . said Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president for public relations and politics.
Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, did not criticize the CDC’s recommendation on Monday and said the United States is on the road to recovery.
“CDC’s policy has not changed. This reinforces the urgency to increase vaccine capacity and distribution and general efforts to end the pandemic. COVID is the problem. We must remain vigilant and vaccinate people as soon as possible, ”she said.
The CDC did not respond to a request for comment on what needs to be done to lift the travel restriction.
“We are really trying to restrict travel in this current period of time and we hope that our next set of guidelines will have more science about what vaccinated people can do, perhaps travel between them,” said Walensky on Monday.
Rep. Rodney Davis
Rodney Lee DavisHouse passed an electoral bill aimed at foreign interference by Biden to meet with bipartisan lawmakers on infrastructure. (R-Ill.), A member of the House’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee, said the White House should stop “embracing the blocking mentality”.
“The goal of vaccinating Americans against COVID is to save lives and, at the same time, accelerate our country’s return to normal. People who continue to support the status quo of COVID restrictions, even though millions of Americans are vaccinated every day , will eventually deter a large number of Americans from receiving the vaccine, ”he said.
The CDC also recommended that vaccinated individuals do not need to be quarantined or tested if they come into contact with someone with COVID-19 and do not develop symptoms.
Wen called this orientation confusing.
“If they’re saying that you don’t even need quarantine after being exposed to someone with a known COVID-19, can’t you get on a plane and sit there, masked, with people who probably don’t have COVID-19? It just doesn’t make sense, “she said.
Air travel is slowly returning, but has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 1,277,719 passengers on Sunday and the last time the volume was so high was on January 3, when 1,327,289 passengers were screened for vacation travel.
On Saturday, the TSA screened 991,547 passengers. In the previous year, on March 6, the agency screened 2,198,517 passengers.
The coronavirus relief legislation that the Senate passed on Saturday should provide some help to the industry. The airlines received a $ 15 billion increase and an extension to the Payroll Support Program, which was an important provision in the CARES Act, which was due to expire on April 1.
The extension will allow airlines to keep workers on payroll until September 30.
When pressed about what guidance the CDC would give a governor regarding vaccinated people traveling back to his state, Walensky emphasized that the recommendations have not changed.
“Our travel guidance has not been changed and, therefore, we would maintain any current travel guidance. We would like to give vaccinated grandparents the opportunity to visit their children and grandchildren who are healthy and who are local, but our travel guidelines have not currently been changed, ”he said.
Harvard University’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative found “scientific evidence showing that following a layered approach serves as a strong risk mitigation strategy for SARS-COV-2 transmission on an aircraft,” according to a report released last month. past.
The report, which assessed the risk of transmitting COVID-19 during air travel, found a “very low probability” of being infected with COVID-19 from an aircraft and recommended following the multi-layered approach to mask use and physical distance during boarding and disembarking.
Wen fears that not allowing vaccinated people to travel could mean that unvaccinated people are not encouraged to see vaccination as a return to normal.
“We need to be much clearer about the freedoms an individual can have when they have proof of vaccination,” she said. “I think that people who are fully vaccinated should be able to travel and should be encouraged to travel, of course with great care.”