CDC : Negative Covid-19 test required to all air passengers entering USA

On January 12, 2021 CDC , The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced with a press release that they are expanding the requirement for a negative COVID-19 test to all air passengers entering the United States. And it will be effecting starting January 26- Please find here the entire press released

This new requirement will be applied in 14 days giving quite a tiny window to potential travelers, resorts , tourism supplier and the entire industry already highly impacted by the pandemic to get prepared and organized.

A lot the points to be clarified ( and in fact the social media is already creating confusion) like: do US passengers that need to travel for work and stay out of the country for less than a week be affected by this? Some people still think that this do not apply to US citizens.

According to the CDC, air passengers entering the U.S. will be required to present documentation of a negative COVID-19 viral test (called a Qualifying Test) conducted within the 3 days before their flight to the U.S. departs.

-Documentation should be for a viral test as approved or authorized by the relevant national authority.

-Test results must state: Negative, SARS-CoV2 RNA Not Detected, SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Not Detected, or COVID-19 Not Detected.

-Documentation may be paper or electronic copy and must include the name and contact information for the laboratory or healthcare personnel who performed the test.

-Test results may be required to be shown again upon landing.

-Alternatively, passengers may provide documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 with documentation of test results conducted during the three months preceding the flight’s departure from a foreign country.

-Test results must state: Positive, SARS-CoV2 RNA Detected, SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Detected, or COVID-19 Detected. Invalid will not be accepted.

-Additionally, a letter from a licensed health professional stating that the passenger has been cleared for travel (called Documentation of Recovery).

-Finally, all airline passengers will be required to present a simple CDC attestation form to the airline for collection prior to boarding. That form can be found here for reference. - For more information, you may reference the FAQs on the CDC website, which can be found here.

Delta Vacations is allowing customers to reschedule their international travel before the new requirements take effect on January 26. Delta has proactively issued a travel waiver for customers rebooking international tickets purchased on or before January 12, 2021. The fare difference will be waived for customers originally scheduled to travel internationally to the U.S. through February 9, 2021, if they choose to rebook their travel to begin on or before January 25, 2021.

We will keep an eye on the information that airlines, resorts and CDC itself will give in the next few days. Stay tuned .