CDC Senior Official: COVID Tests For Domestic Flights A Possibility
Jan 27, 2021, 12:19 PM
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – On Wednesday morning during a call with reporters, a senior Centers for Disease Control official said the Biden administration is actively looking at possible requirements for negative COVID tests on domestic flights.
Just this week, President Joe Biden signed an executive order that requires all international flyers coming to the United States to submit a negative COVID test.
“I don’t know if I would go unless it is really important,” Julie Lassiter said.
The young woman from Utah has traveled to visit friends during the pandemic and said she feels safe flying with her mask on.
“It’s starting to feel like ‘Handmaid’s Tale,’” Lassiter joked while referencing a popular television show of a dystopian America.
Another Utahn, Chari Pack, said she understands the caution but feels the added stress and inconsistent tests could persuade people not to fly. She and her family are cautious after having their own international flying experience.
“Our tests didn’t come back in time, and we were literally sitting at the airport and had to go all the way home,” Pack said about a family vacation to Mexico that was canceled last minute due to testing delays.
The CDC has not made any official announcement about requiring negative tests for domestic flights. Officials did confirm they are looking at it as an option moving forward because of the Brazil and UK strains of COVID that are more contagious and possibly more lethal.