U.S. considering requiring proof of negative coronavirus test for domestic air travel

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said federal officials are discussing whether passengers will have to show proof of a negative coronavirus test before being allowed on board domestic flights, telling Axios on HBO that any decision will be "guided by data, by science, by medicine, and by the input of the people who are actually going to have to carry this out."

In order to try to keep more contagious coronavirus variants found in Britain and South Africa out of the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January announced that in order to board an international flight to the U.S., a passenger must show a negative test result. On Monday, reporters asked CDC Director Rochelle Walensky about expanding coronavirus testing at airports, and she said this could help keep people who do not know they are infected from spreading the virus.

"There's more gathering that happens in airports, and so, to the extent that we have available tests to do testing, this would be yet another mitigation measure to try and decrease risk," Walensky said. Health officials are continuing to urge people to avoid all nonessential travel, and when they are in public, to ensure they are wearing masks and social distancing.

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