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COVID testing for ALL (including US Citizens) inbound air passengers mandatory

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Old Jan 12, 2021, 4:43 pm
  #1  
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COVID testing for ALL (including US Citizens) inbound air passengers mandatory
Per CDC notification, in two weeks even US citizens will have to provide negative PCR test on return to USA. What happens if these tests cannot be done in Mexico or Costa Rica? I have read that it is illegal to prohibit US citizens to come back. I have a trip soon and am not sure will Alaska be doing anything in this regard.
Huge blow for some passengers.
felicidad76 is offline  
Old Jan 12, 2021, 5:02 pm
  #2  
 
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What about those with a vaccination? In 3 weeks time I'll be fully vaccinated, as will a few million (in the US) others. Small potatoes given the relative size of the population, but not insignificant. Not that I plan to travel internationally anytime soon, but seems they may be a little behind in their thought process if they left out this consideration.

I don't desire to pay for or even take free repeated PCR tests when I'm fully vaccinated.
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Old Jan 12, 2021, 5:18 pm
  #3  
 
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Originally Posted by clarrkkent
What about those with a vaccination? In 3 weeks time I'll be fully vaccinated, as will a few million (in the US) others. Small potatoes given the relative size of the population, but not insignificant. Not that I plan to travel internationally anytime soon, but seems they may be a little behind in their thought process if they left out this consideration.

I don't desire to pay for or even take free repeated PCR tests when I'm fully vaccinated.

I believe they don't know fully that this gives protection from exposing others but can eliminate or reduce the severity of the virus. Similar to a flu vaccine, you could still be contagious.
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Old Jan 12, 2021, 5:58 pm
  #4  
 
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Originally Posted by felicidad76
Per CDC notification, in two weeks even US citizens will have to provide negative PCR test on return to USA. What happens if these tests cannot be done in Mexico or Costa Rica? I have read that it is illegal to prohibit US citizens to come back. I have a trip soon and am not sure will Alaska be doing anything in this regard.
Huge blow for some passengers.
You are right, US citizens cannot be denied entry into the US. As for mandatory quarantine, that might be a possibility. I am no lawyer but I am sure there are some here that are. Can the US force its citizens to take a particular test? We have seen states mandate negative tests for entrance (Hawaii)...but for a whole country to deny its citizens entrance; is that a violation of the 4th amendment. Interesting thought.
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Old Jan 12, 2021, 6:00 pm
  #5  
 
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Originally Posted by tkelvin69
I believe they don't know fully that this gives protection from exposing others but can eliminate or reduce the severity of the virus. Similar to a flu vaccine, you could still be contagious.
That is correct. We should be getting this data from the clinical trials soon
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Old Jan 12, 2021, 6:50 pm
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Originally Posted by tkelvin69
I believe they don't know fully that this gives protection from exposing others but can eliminate or reduce the severity of the virus. Similar to a flu vaccine, you could still be contagious.
And the vaccine is only effective against that strain. AFAIK it has no effect on the UK strain.
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Old Jan 12, 2021, 6:53 pm
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Originally Posted by anteater
And the vaccine is only effective against that strain. AFAIK it has no effect on the UK strain.
They don't know as it's an unknown situation. Even the flu vaccine if not targeted (they do a best guess every year) gives some protection against a variant. I think the best course is to assume you are always infected when around people and try to protect them.
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Old Jan 12, 2021, 6:54 pm
  #8  
 
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Originally Posted by anteater
And the vaccine is only effective against that strain. AFAIK it has no effect on the UK strain.
We know that the Pfizer vaccine is effective against the UK strain.
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Old Jan 12, 2021, 6:57 pm
  #9  
 
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Originally Posted by clarrkkent
What about those with a vaccination? In 3 weeks time I'll be fully vaccinated, as will a few million (in the US) others. Small potatoes given the relative size of the population, but not insignificant. Not that I plan to travel internationally anytime soon, but seems they may be a little behind in their thought process if they left out this consideration.

I don't desire to pay for or even take free repeated PCR tests when I'm fully vaccinated.
First, no one knows whether the vaccination prevents you from still being a carrier. So that's clearly an issue.

Like everything else, this changes every day
WebTraveler is offline  
Old Jan 12, 2021, 6:59 pm
  #10  
 
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Originally Posted by JacksonFlyer
You are right, US citizens cannot be denied entry into the US. As for mandatory quarantine, that might be a possibility. I am no lawyer but I am sure there are some here that are. Can the US force its citizens to take a particular test? We have seen states mandate negative tests for entrance (Hawaii)...but for a whole country to deny its citizens entrance; is that a violation of the 4th amendment. Interesting thought.
You would think, but recall all the cruise ship personnel were kept off US soil for how long?

They can sent you to quarantine. Seems to me the airline would need to give a test in a foreign country if the test cannot be secured there.....or it won't be able to fly there. No one could come back.
WebTraveler is offline  
Old Jan 12, 2021, 7:14 pm
  #11  
 
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Originally Posted by RAD_PDX
We know that the Pfizer vaccine is effective against the UK strain.
Would love to read. Can you source? I see many articles saying it may be, but not much scientific data.
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Old Jan 12, 2021, 7:40 pm
  #12  
 
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Here is a link to the CDC site with information.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...ir-travel.html

Can the airlines provide this test at the airport? I thought this was already being done for some flights.
jbeckett is offline  
Old Jan 12, 2021, 7:40 pm
  #13  
 
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Originally Posted by JacksonFlyer
You are right, US citizens cannot be denied entry into the US. As for mandatory quarantine, that might be a possibility. I am no lawyer but I am sure there are some here that are. Can the US force its citizens to take a particular test? We have seen states mandate negative tests for entrance (Hawaii)...but for a whole country to deny its citizens entrance; is that a violation of the 4th amendment. Interesting thought.
The airlines are responsible to check. Thus you are not being denied entry into the US. You are simply denied boarding on foreign soil. Many people were trapped for weeks/months when borders closed last year. The airline would risk a large penalty for each person boarded without a verified negative test. The airlines lobbied for this so we can hope they have a testing plan ready to go to actually implement it...LOL.
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Old Jan 12, 2021, 7:41 pm
  #14  
 
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Originally Posted by anteater
Would love to read. Can you source? I see many articles saying it may be, but not much scientific data.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...01.07.425740v1

It just came out so it hasn’t been officially published yet.
RAD_PDX is offline  
Old Jan 12, 2021, 7:42 pm
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by anteater
Would love to read. Can you source? I see many articles saying it may be, but not much scientific data.
The data should be published this week, and can then be peer-reviewed.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/11/covi...w-strains.html
NoLaGent is offline  



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