On January 12th the CDC issued an order stating, effective January 26th, the U.S. will require negative COVID tests from international travelers, including U.S. citizens, arriving to the U.S. by air.
Under the new policy, all air passengers are required to get a test for current COVID infection within three days of their flight to the U.S., regardless of vaccination status. Passengers will be asked to provide written documentation of their negative test result or proof of having recovered from the virus. Because vaccinated individuals may still be carriers of COVID-19, proof of immunization will not be sufficient. If a passenger has tested positive for COVID-19 in the 90 days preceding the flight and has recovered, they may instead provide written or electronic documentation of a positive result and a letter from a licensed health care provider or public health official stating that the passenger is cleared for travel.
Airlines will be required to check this documentation for all passengers before allowing flights to board. Failure or refusal to provide the required documentation will force the airline to deny boarding.
Immigration advocates and the media have speculated that this new requirement may replace the various COVID-related travel bans currently in place; official confirmation has not yet been provided.
Grossman Young & Hammond will keep you updated as this situation develops.
