U.S. WILL REQUIRE NEGATIVE TESTS FOR ALL U.K. PASSENGERS

The U.S. government will require all airline passengers arriving from the United Kingdom to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure starting Monday amid concerns about a new coronavirus variant that may be more transmissible. The decision was a turnaround after the Trump administration told U.S. airlines on Tuesday it was not planning to require any testing for arriving UK passengers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said an order would be signed on Friday and is effective Monday.

The decision follows the emergence of a highly infectious new coronavirus variant in Britain that has prompted many countries, including Canada, to temporarily shut their borders to travellers from there. A representative from the U.K.'s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said on Friday that they are “in close contact with the U.S. authorities and are working urgently to minimize disruption as far as possible,” adding that FCDO will regularly update advice online.