U.S. Officials Aim to Open New York-London Air Travel by the Holidays
According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials have announced that they plan to open New York to London air travel by the holiday season.
In opening air travel, U.S. officials hope to introduce shorter quarantine periods for folks who plan to go between the two countries. The increase of available COVID-19 tests in the United States has prompted workers in the Transportation Department (within the Department of Homeland Security) and others to continue to form safe travel pathways between the U.S. and international countries. Travelers will be required to get tested both before and after flights.
The U.S. could allow travel between New York and London with shorter quarantines, helped by increased availability of Covid-19 tests. A travel corridor could be in place by the holidays. #WSJWhatsNow pic.twitter.com/xhLcKpKtjM
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 12, 2020
U.S. transportation officials have claimed that they want to limit to quarantine to be a maximum of 24 hours. However, federal officials and other government employees have said that international countries may feel comfortable with a longer quarantine period, lasting anywhere from four to seven days. In order to go to the U.K. today, Americans must quarantine for 14 days. The U.S. is currently not allowing international travelers into the country.
Daily U.S. coronavirus cases remain above 50,000 for a fourth day, as efforts resume to establish travel corridors between the U.S. and international destinations https://t.co/AHJ0tQ7yDZ
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 11, 2020
While the two countries have been trying to come up with a safe way to resume air travel, the COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the U.K. have reached an all-time high. The U.S. currently has over seven million COVID-19 cases all over the country, and a current death toll of 215,000 people. The U.K. has lost over 42,000 people to the coronavirus and currently has over 618,000 cases.
The White House’s National Security Council approved this plan a few weeks ago, so it is now underway with officials in both countries talking about what must be done to keep passengers safe and healthy. The United Kingdom’s Transport Minister Grant Shapps stated that a task force would study the reliability and role of airport testing. Rapid tests are expected to be used as part of this new travel plan.
We encourage everyone to keep social distancing and wearing masks. For current COVID-19 guidelines, you can visit the CDC website here.
