US-bound air travelers can use self-administered COVID tests, CDC says

International travelers to the U.S. can use some self-administered COVID-19 tests to meet entry requirements, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday.

According to the CDC, the self-test must be a nasal swab or saliva test approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration. The test must also be supervised in real-time by a telehealth service able to confirm both a negative test and that procedures were properly followed.

CDC officials urge Americans who are traveling overseas to reconsider plans despite the new usage a self-administered COVID-19 tests.
While trade group Airlines for America praised the move, the State Department still recommends Americans reconsider overseas travel amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Reuters

In addition, the CDC says airlines must be able to confirm the traveler’s identity and details of the test results. The results themselves must be provided to U.S. officials upon arrival.

The trade group Airlines for America praised the move in a statement to Reuters, calling it “an encouraging step in facilitating the international travel process.”

Since Jan. 26 of this year, the CDC has required that all airline passengers arriving to the U.S. from overseas be tested for the coronavirus no more than 72 hours before their flight departs and present a negative result or clearance granted to travel by a doctor or public health official.

Passengers who are coming from overseas are allowed to use a self-administered nasal swab or saliva COVID-19 test in the presence of a health official.
Passengers coming to the US from overseas can use a self-administered nasal swab or saliva COVID-19 test in the presence of a health official, the CDC said.
Boston Globe via Getty Images

The State Department currently recommends that Americans reconsider overseas travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it had screened 1.64 million passengers at airports Thursday, the most in a single day since March 2020 and a sign more Americans are getting back in the sky.

source: nypost.com