Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Travelers From UK To US May Face New Rules Due To Virus Variant Worries
CNN: White House Considers Covid Testing Requirement For Travelers From UK
The White House is considering requiring travelers from the United Kingdom to present proof of a negative coronavirus test before arriving in the United States, two administration officials tell CNN. The discussions come amid the discovery of a new variant of coronavirus discovered in the UK and as a slew of countries have suspended travel. US public health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have said they do not believe the situation currently warrants suspending travel from the UK. (Diamond, 12/21)
Reuters: U.S. Could Require Negative COVID-19 Tests For Passengers From Britain - Sources
Airline and U.S. officials said requiring testing for UK arrivals won backing among task force members. The White House has yet to make a final decision on the matter, they said. Earlier, airlines operating flights from London to John F. Kennedy International Airport voluntarily agreed to a request from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that they only allow passengers who test negative to fly. (Shepardson and Rucinski, 12/21)
Politico: Cuomo Wants Pre-Flight Testing For Travel From U.K. To New York
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is asking airlines transporting passengers from the United Kingdom to New York to require a negative Covid-19 test before boarding. Cuomo announced the request during a virtual briefing on Monday in response to reports of a new mutated variant of the coronavirus that appears to be spreading rapidly and has prompted new lockdowns in Britain. (Gronewold, 12/21)
The New York Times: Concerns About Coronavirus Variant Cut Off U.K. From Europe
Britain was all but cut off from the rest of Europe on Monday, with flights and trains banned by some 40 countries and freight deliveries halted at French ports, as its neighbors tried desperately to stop a fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus from leaping across the English Channel. The sudden disruption left Britain isolated and unnerved, its people stranded at airports or quarantined at home. It aroused fears of panic buying in British supermarkets, as a nation already rattled by a mysterious new strain of the virus now had to worry about running out of fresh food in the days before Christmas. (Landler and Castle, 12/21)
