CDC Requires COVID-19 Test From Air Passengers Entering the U.S.

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Dulles International Airport last month. The CDC will require all air passengers entering the U.S. to provide a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flight.





Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images



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Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images



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The CDC will require all passengers to get a test within three days of their departure. Written documentation of negative test results must be provided to the airline before boarding. Previously infected passengers can provide documentation of their recovery in lieu of a negative test result. Airlines won’t let passengers board if they fail to comply.

Additionally, the CDC recommends passengers get tested again three to five days after arrival and stay home for the first week. «Testing does not eliminate all risk, CDC Director Robert Redfield said. «But when combined with a period of staying at home and everyday precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, it can make travel safer, healthier, and more responsible by reducing spread on planes, in airports and at destinations.