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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that it does not plan to require coronavirus testing before domestic flights, for now. Airline executives fiercely criticized the idea in recent weeks, arguing it would diminish already-weak demand and reduce valuable testing opportunities for medical purposes.
"At this time, CDC is not recommending required point of departure testing for domestic travel," a spokesperson for the CDC told Fox News. "As part of our close monitoring of the pandemic, in particular the continued spread of variants, we will continue to review public health options for containing and mitigating 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. (iStock)
"CDC recommends that people stay home and only travel for essential reasons. If someone must travel, getting a viral test 1 – 3 days before the trip can help them do so more safely," they stressed. "After travel, getting tested with a viral test 3 – 5 days post-travel and staying home and self-quarantining for 7 days, even if test results are negative, is a recommended public health measure to reduce risk."
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The news was announced Friday, the same day that White House Coronavirus Task Force Director Jeffrey Zients met virtually with executives for major U.S. carriers, including American Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, Reuters reports.
Though the executives who run major carriers, including American, Southwest, JetBlue and Delta, say they support the coronavirus testing requirement for international travelers entering the U.S., these leaders have blasted the same mandate for domestic travel as expensive and impractical.
The CDC offered no further explanation for its latest update on the trending travel topic, simply stressing existing guidance to avoid all travel in the fight against COVID-19. (iStock)
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Anxieties spiked last week when Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg mentioned an "active conversation" with the CDC on such a mandate during a Feb. 7 interview with Axios.
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In early February, the public health institute mandated that all U.S. travelers ages 2 and up must wear face masks during the entire travel journey, whether they're traveling by air, bus, boat, train or via any other location that provides transportation.
In January, the CDC announced that negative tests will be required of passengers on all international flights to the U.S. following news of more infectious strains from abroad.