The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that it does not plan to require testing for coronavirus before domestic flights, for now. Airline executives have fiercely criticized the idea in recent weeks, arguing that it would lessen already weak demand and reduce valuable testing opportunities for medical purposes.
“At the moment, the CDC is not recommending the mandatory starting point test for domestic travel,” said the CDC on Friday, according to The Wall Street Journal. “As part of our close monitoring of the pandemic, in particular the continued spread of variants, we will continue to review public health options to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the travel space.”
The CDC has announced that it does not plan to require coronavirus testing before domestic flights, for now.
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The news was announced on the same day that Director of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, Jeffrey Zients, met virtually executives from major US operators, including American Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, reports Reuters.
The CDC offered no further explanation for its most recent update on the topic of travel trends, simply emphasizing the existing guidance to avoid all travel in the fight against COVID-19.
The CDC offered no further explanation for its most recent update on the topic of travel trends, simply emphasizing the existing guidance to avoid all travel in the fight against COVID-19.
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While executives who run major carriers, including American, Southwest, JetBlue and Delta, say that they support the requirement for coronavirus testing for international travelers entering the United States, these leaders find the same requirement for domestic travel expensive and impractical.
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Anxiety increased last week when transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg mentioned an “active conversation” with the CDC about such a mandate during a February 7 interview with Axios.
A CDC spokesman was not immediately available to offer further comments to Fox News.
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In early February, the institute of public health determined that all travelers in the United States aged 2 or older must wear masks for the entire trip, whether by plane, bus, boat, train or any other location offering transportation.
In January, the CDC announced that negative tests will be required of passengers on all international flights to the United States, following news of more infectious strains from abroad.