WASHINGTON, Jan 22 (Reuters) – A group representing the US travel industry on Friday said it was against creating mandatory quarantines for international air passengers returning to the United States.
US Travel believes that implementing the new mandatory negative COVID-19 testing requirements for all international air passengers aged two or older eliminates the need for quarantine for returning passengers.
New international testing requirements start Tuesday.
The group said imposing “mandatory quarantine requirements for international travelers can be very difficult to enforce”.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a seven-day quarantine for passengers arriving in the United States.
US President Joe Biden on Thursday issued an executive order ordering agencies to oblige international air travelers to quarantine upon US arrival, and directing US agencies to enforce federal mask mandates in interstate transport.
Biden told reporters that passengers must be “quarantined when they arrive in America”.
The White House did not comment on Friday on the travel group’s concerns.
Biden’s order directed the agency to make recommendations to “introduce additional public health measures for domestic travel”. Officials say Biden may require testing for COVID-19 before flying domestically, similar to the international requirements that come in.
Chief US Travel Executive Roger Dow said on Friday that the group did not think making testing mandatory before domestic travel “feasible or feasible” and questioned whether the United States had testing capacity.
The Biden order said “as far as possible” air passengers must comply with applicable CDC guidelines on international travel “including the recommended self-quarantine period”.
The Biden administration said this week it would reimpose entry bans on most non-US citizens who were currently in Brazil, Britain, Ireland and much of continental Europe after President Donald Trump issued an order Monday to lift them from Monday. the same one. new test rules come into effect.
Biden has yet to issue a new order to reinstate the entry ban. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Jan Harvey)