US to require negative COVID-19 test for all travellers from UK

The United States will require all airline passengers arriving from Britain to test negative for the coronavirus within 72 hours of their departure, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

The move comes as a new highly transmissible variant of the virus, which first appeared in Britain, has led countries to seal their borders to travellers from there.

The rule, which takes effect Monday, will apply to Americans as well as foreign citizens and will require passengers to show proof of a negative result on a genetic test, known as a PCR, or an antigen test.

“This additional testing requirement will fortify our protection of the American public to improve their health and safety and ensure responsible international travel,” the CDC said in a statement.

Passengers will be required to “provide written documentation of their laboratory test result (in hard copy or electronic) to the airline,” the CDC said, adding that “if a passenger chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger.”

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