Anyone traveling via air to the United States after Jan. 26 — including University of Indianapolis students — will need to show a negative COVID-19 test result or prove that they have recently recovered from the virus in order to enter the U.S., according to an order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The order was issued by the CDC on Jan. 12 and is designed to slow the spread of COVID-19, and its new variants, according to the order.
Any air travelers heading to the U.S. must provide a negative test result from three days prior to boarding any flights, according to the CDC. The order applies to all air passengers over the age of two, including U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, according to the CDC. The order only applies to inbound flights to the U.S.
According to the CDC, U.S. territories and possessions are not considered foreign countries for this order, meaning that a negative COVID-19 test is not required for those flying from a U.S. territory or possession to a U.S. state. These territories and possessions include American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the CDC.
Those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine, or have tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, are not exempt from the testing requirement, according to the CDC. Additionally, travelers will still be required to have a COVID-19 test even if the trip is shorter than three days, according to the CDC. If a traveler’s return trip is delayed longer than three days after the test, they will need to schedule another test in order to fly, according to the CDC.
Travelers are required to show paper or electronic documentation of a laboratory viral test result before they board, according to the CDC. If a traveler has tested positive for COVID-19 within 90 days of their departure — and has met the criteria to end isolation — they can bring their positive test result and clearance to travel from a healthcare provider, according to the CDC.
