by Clive Bacchus
St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Effective January 7, 2021, air travelers 5 years of age or older were required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result to the airline prior to boarding international flights bound for Canada.
Everyone entering Canada must follow mandatory isolation or quarantine requirements. Not respecting the mandatory requirements is a serious offense and you could face consequences and penalties.
The COVID-19 pandemic restricts travel to Canada and within Canada. It is essential to understand and comply with the requirements to protect others and prevent the spread.
Now the UK and the US are announcing new requirements for international travelers.
In the UK, effective 4 am Friday, January 15, all travelers, to England, Wales, and Scotland from overseas will need to test negative for coronavirus before they are allowed to enter the country, the government has announced.
The test will need to be taken up to 72 hours before their departure – and failure to comply will result in an immediate £500 fine.
The US requirement takes effect on January 25 according to the Centres for Disease Control (CDC).
Effective January 26, all air passengers will be required to take a viral test within three days before their flight to the U.S. departs and must provide the airline either documentation of a negative laboratory test result or proof that they have recovered from a coronavirus infection.
Airlines must deny boarding if passengers do not provide proof of a negative test, documentation of recovery or refuse to take a test, the CDC said.
“With the US already in surge status, the testing requirement for air passengers will help slow the spread of the virus as we work to vaccinate the American public,” the CDC said in a statement Tuesday.
The CDC also recommends getting tested again three to five days after arriving in the U.S. and quarantining at home for seven days post-travel.
