Atlas Traveler
Member
Good day from sunny Arizona. I hope you are doing well. Many countries have opened their borders and airlines are reassuring us that there is little risk of contracting COVID-19 while flying. According to a recent article published by health experts from Harvard School of Public Health, with proper precautions, flying can be safer than grocery shopping.
Be that as it may, the U.S. State Department recently issued a new requirement for travelers. In addition to wearing masks and social distancing, beginning January 26, airlines will require all passengers traveling to the U.S., including U.S. citizens, to show paper or electronic proof (PDF, text message or PDF) of a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flight. The test should be completed not more than 3 days prior to the departure flight. Antigen or nucleic acid amplification tests such as a PCR test qualify, but antibody tests do not. If you have had COVID-19 within the past 90 days, you are exempt but must show written proof of recovery. Read more about the new requirements at the CDC website http://bit.ly/COVID19_TEST
I hope this helps!
-Adam
Be that as it may, the U.S. State Department recently issued a new requirement for travelers. In addition to wearing masks and social distancing, beginning January 26, airlines will require all passengers traveling to the U.S., including U.S. citizens, to show paper or electronic proof (PDF, text message or PDF) of a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flight. The test should be completed not more than 3 days prior to the departure flight. Antigen or nucleic acid amplification tests such as a PCR test qualify, but antibody tests do not. If you have had COVID-19 within the past 90 days, you are exempt but must show written proof of recovery. Read more about the new requirements at the CDC website http://bit.ly/COVID19_TEST
- The good news? U.S. Embassies have resources for obtaining COVID-19 tests at your destination country, including the name of the labs and websites of the medical facilities offering tests. For example, the U.S. Embassy in Spain reports that PCR and/or antigen tests available to U. S. citizens for free if prescribed by a public health doctor, or by paying an average of €120 if they obtain the test from a private medical facility. You can visit the US Embassy website at http://bit.ly/Embassy_Spain for more info.
- Prior to traveling overseas, I advise directly contacting a lab or medical facility and scheduling a date and time for a test as well as confirming you can get the results before your return flight. Most labs can send you results by email or text message which are the airlines accept.
- If you or a travel companion tests positive, I recommend purchasing a travel insurance policy which covers medical as well as additional accommodations. I use a company in the U.S. that gives me prompt and professional service and on many occasions have gone above and beyond what I expected.
I hope this helps!
-Adam