CDC to require COVID-19 test for all international travelers

(KYMA, KECY) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said starting January 26 will require a negative COVID-19 test from air passengers entering the U.S.

Passengers will be required to get a viral test done within three days before their flight to the U.S. and provide written documentation of lab results.

In a statement, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said, "Variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus continue to emerge in countries around the world, and there is evidence of increased transmissibility of some of these variants. With the U.S. already in surge status, the testing requirement for air passengers will help slow the spread of the virus as we work to vaccinate the American public."

A new similar rule was put in place last month for passengers from the U.K. to the U.S., requiring passengers to have a negative test within three days.

However, At least 72 cases of a variant first identified in the U.K. have been found in 10 states, according to data posted Monday by the CDC.

Which includes at least 32 cases in California, 22 cases in Florida, five cases in Minnesota, four cases in New York, three cases in Colorado, two cases in Connecticut, and one case each in Texas, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Georgia.