US requires negative Covid test for UK flights

The mutated strain of Covid-19 discovered in the United Kingdom is believed to be up to 70% more transmissible than other strains, although it may not be more lethal.

Previously, the government was reluctant to require a health check for flights from the UK, but simply recommended it. Some governors, the chief of them, Andrew Cuomo, of New York, called for the feds to go even further and end flights from the UK, as did some other countries.

In a December 22 appearance on “Good Morning America,” the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, called the travel ban a “dramatic step” that did not seem imminent and suggested that it is likely already spreading within the United States.

“This is certainly possible, I mean, when you have that amount of spread within a place like the UK, you really need to assume that it is already here and it is certainly not the dominant strain, but I would not be surprised if it is already here “said Fauci.

Passengers wishing to travel from the UK must undergo a PCR or antigen test and provide written documentation of the result to their airline, who must verify the result before allowing the passenger to board.