Taking a COVID-19 test before domestic flights could become a new requirement under President Biden’s administration, a senior Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official said on Tuesday.
Marty Cetron, director for the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine at the CDC, told reporters the Biden administration is considering whether additional domestic travel testing requirements could be applied for U.S. travelers, according to Reuters.
“We realize that there’s been a dramatic evolution and increase in both testing platforms and testing capacity. I think this is a really important part of our toolkit to combat this pandemic,” he said.
Tuesday marked the beginning of new CDC rules taking effect for nearly all international air travelers aged 2 or older to supply a negative COVID-19 test within three days of travel or proof of recovery from the virus.
The agency has reportedly communicated with airline companies about the prospects of requiring domestic travelers to test negative prior to flights, though some airline officials raised concerns the requirements could weaken the already slim demand for air travel during the pandemic.
Reuters reported Friday officials in the administration floated ideas to include required negative COVID-19 tests from travelers within the United States.
Acting Assistant Secretary of State Ian Brownlee told reporters the CDC was not issuing federal quarantine orders but recommended travelers to self-quarantine for seven days upon returning from travel and scheduling a COVID-19 test post-arrival.
Brownlee also encouraged travelers not to fly overseas, noting the agency would not grant waivers to exempt travelers from some countries with minimal testing capacity.
“If you’re overseas right now, it’s going to be harder to come home for a while,” Brownlee said.
