The latest news was all revolving around how the travel trade groups, businessmen, and experts were trying to dim some of the mandatory precautions assigned to destinations, accommodations, and travel transportation systems and states.
In this regard, we hear that the World Health Organization (WHO) representative stated last week that instead of mandatory quarantines coronavirus tests should be used during international travel.
Didier Houssin, WHO Emergency Committee chair exposed during a news conference on Friday that the organization should provide fresh and new guidance on safe international air travel and this is not something that could be neglected any longer.
Houssin continued his statement during the press conference and clarified that the use of the tests now is supposed to have a much larger place compared to the quarantine for instance, which would positively ease things, bearing in mind that all the efforts which have been made by airlines and by airports were to reach this moment.
WHO top emergency expert Mike Ryan, also confirms his colleague and says that traveling in the age of COVID-19 could be “relatively safe” but needs a “relatively low” health risk, meaning that there are risks, indeed, but with the right law and the right mandatory precaution it could be done.
Therefore, it is a trade-off that countries have to make. The risk of a traveler arriving and potentially starting the chain of transmission, against the clear benefit of allowing travel from a social and an economic point of view. One could add testing and different measures into that. This mandatory testing instead of mandatory quarantine will be coming out very soon with more detail.
Within the last month, United Airlines proclaimed the world’s first free transatlantic COVID-19 testing pilot program for passengers. The carrier’s new testing pilot program will occur between November 16 and December 11 for select flights between Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and London Heathrow in the United Kingdom.