WASHINGTON/CHICAGO -- The U.S. government does not intend to impose COVID-19 screenings for passengers traveling from Britain after the emergence of a highly infectious new coronavirus variant there, people briefed on the decision said.
White House coronavirus task force members backed requiring negative pre-flight tests after a meeting on Monday, but the Trump administration has decided not to take any action for the time being, the people said.
Much of the world shut their borders to Britain after the discovery of a mutated variant of the novel coronavirus, though the European Union recommended on Tuesday that members roll back sweeping closures to allow freight to resume and people to return home for Christmas.
Several airlines are requiring New York-arriving passengers from the U.K. to get negative COVID-19 tests within 72 hours of departure after a request from the state's governor.
The Trump administration has repeatedly refused to issues mandates for many federal COVID-19 safety policies for air travel, making only strong recommendations on issues such as mask wearing. President-elect Joe Biden has vowed to mandate masks in interstate air, bus and train travel after taking office on Jan. 20.
(Reporting by David Shepardson and Susan Heavey in Washington and Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Shumaker)
