The government of U.S plans to require all international travelers to pass a negative test of the COVID-19 before flying into the country, as The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) announced on Tuesday.
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The paper, which cites knowledgeable anonymous sources, noted that the official announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may arrive today and go into effect Jan.
The CDC order will require coronavirus testing of all passengers flying from overseas, including returning Americans, and comes at a time when there are concerns about the expansion of the new variant of the virus registered in the UK and of which several cases have already been found in the United States.
Since the end of December, the country has already been required to submit a negative coronavirus test performed up to 72 hours before the trip on those flying from UK airports.
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The measure affects a relatively small number of travelers because, in March, the president Donald Trump, has already restricted the entry of foreigners from the UK, reducing air traffic between the two countries by 90%, according to official data.
Airlines have long been demanding to replace travel restrictions and quarantines with tests for all passengers
Currently, the US prohibits entry of travelers from many countries, including those of the European Union (EU), unless they are US citizens, permanent residents, or have an exemption.
In its information, the WSJ does not make clear whether covid-19 testing will replace those measures or whether they join them, although the second option is more likely as it is used with the UK.
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In any case, the newspaper recalls that airlines have long been demanding to replace travel restrictions and quarantines with tests for all passengers and recently wrote to the outgoing vice president: Mike Pence, defending that idea.
The United States is the country hardest hit by the pandemic worldwide and, according to the latest figures, already has more than 22.6 million cases and more than 378,000 deaths.
EFE
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