Fly to the United States? You may receive a free COVID-19 test kit when you arrive at some airports.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this week began distributing free home test kits at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Miami International Airport, Chicago O ‘International Airport Hare and Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport, as first reported by Thrifty Traveler.
“This initiative will quickly increase access to post-arrival COVID-19 testing for international travelers arriving in the United States,” CDC spokeswoman Caitlin Shockey said in an emailed statement. “It is essential that travelers are tested 3-5 days after travel to help identify imported cases of COVID-19 and stop the spread of the virus. “
The CDC did not say how many kits were available through this program, but plans to distribute “as many of these free test kits as possible.” Free test kits are expected to be rolled out to other airports soon.
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The free tests are intended to help more travelers comply with the CDC’s travel guidelines, which state that all air travelers should take a COVID-19 viral test three to five days after entering the United States. who are not U.S. citizens or immigrants unless they have recovered from the virus within the past 90 days.
Shockey said post-arrival testing is “critical” and “will help identify imported cases of COVID-19 and stop the spread of the virus.”
The CDC also has an active testing program at select airports – San Francisco International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport – in partnership with XPresCheck which tests international travelers to identify new and existing COVIDs. -19 variants.
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Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz.