re: U.S. to require COVID tests for international passengers, including citizens

Got a notification from excellence that they will provide free onsite testing

More from the FAQ section on the CDC website of this dumb arse order:

When do I need to get a test to travel to the US? And what kind of test do I need?
Get tested no more than 3 days before your flight to the US departs. Make sure to be tested with a viral test (NAAT or antigen test) to determine if you are currently infected with COVID-19. Also make sure that you receive your results before your flight departs and have documentation of your results to show the airline.

What if I have had a COVID-19 vaccine? Do I still need a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19?
Yes, all air passengers traveling to the US, regardless of vaccination status, are required to provide a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery.

What if I recently recovered from COVID-19?
CDC does not recommend getting tested again in the three months after a positive viral test, as long as you do not have symptoms of COVID-19. If you have had a positive viral test in the past 3 months, and you have met the criteria to end isolation, you may travel instead with documentation of your positive viral test results and a letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official that states you have been cleared for travel. The positive test result and letter together are referred to as “documentation of recovery.”

Who is checking to make sure that people have a negative test or documentation of recovery before they board a plane to the US?
The airline will confirm a COVID-19 negative test result or documentation of recovery for all passengers before boarding.

What happens if I don’t take a test and want to travel to the US?
Air passengers traveling to the US are required to provide a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery. Airlines must confirm the negative test result or documentation of recovery for all passengers before boarding. If a passenger chooses not to provide a test result or documentation of recovery, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger.

What is a verifiable test result?
A verifiable test result must be in the form of written documentation (paper or electronic copy) of a laboratory test result (Crickets editorial: this part is troubling, per their wording, as rapid tests/point of care obviously aren't tested in a lab). Testing must be performed using a viral test (NAAT or antigen), and negative results must be provided to the airline prior to boarding. The test result documentation must include information that identifies the person, a specimen collection date and the type of test. A negative test result must show test was done within the 3 days before the flight. A positive test result must show the test was done within the 3 months before the flight.

What kind of documentation of my test result do I need to provide?
CDC requires that air passengers arriving in the US have a paper or electronic copy of their test result for review by the airline before you board and for potential review by public health officials after you arrive in the US.

Do airlines and operators of private flights or general aviation aircraft need to keep copies of passenger test results?
No, passengers must show a copy of their test results to airline employees or the aircraft operator before boarding, but the airline or aircraft operator does not need to retain copies of test results.

Not to mention we’ve seen a lot of false positive tests in the nfl and college. So if you throw a false positive can you test out?

What the hell are you supposed to do if you go to Mexico (or wherever) and then get a positive test? I guess you have to stay there until recovery and then get a letter from a doctor saying that you are all good?

With all of the false positives and a-symptomatic positives I could see this being a nightmare.

I’m headed to Alaska in late Feb. AK already requires a proof of a negative test within 72 hours of departure to AK. Rapid testing results are acceptable.

Scenario:
Book a trip to Wherever International.
Stay for 5 days.
Test at a third world hospital or rural doctor's office.
3 days later, you don't get results because it is a third world or really rural area.
Miss the flight back to US because you don't have the results.
Results come back in 5 days as positive (because of a false positive).
Wait another 10 days and retest....so on and on.


FML

Exactly. It’s ridiculous because there is so much room for frickery

quote:

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You cannot show a vaccine because the COVID vaccine is not meant to prevent you from getting the virus. It is meant to lessen the symptoms and not kill people. You can still get the virus and spread it.

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Couldn't the same be said for someone who has recently recovered?

I know of three different couples who tested negative to board international flights. And all caught the Vid on the flight. All had symptoms 3/4 days at their destination,all had to quarantine in place for 10 days and couldn’t return to states with negative test. Huge $$$$$$$ loss . Crazy shite fo sho

I won't be booking international in 2021 for this reason - the chance of testing positive while abroad. I could work remotely but the cost of paying to stay an extra ~2 weeks that was not in my budget... not worth it. However, this comes as no surprise to me that international travel is off the table in 2021. I had hopes for 2022 or even 23, and until then I'll enjoy traveling within the US. Plenty to see here that I have not yet.