ADVERTISEMENT

U.S. Testing Plan Aims to Open New York-London Travel, DJ Says

U.S. Testing Plan Aims to Open New York-London Travel, DJ Says

U.S. officials are looking to open travel between New York City and London with shortened traveler quarantine periods as soon as the holidays, Dow Jones reported Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Officials at the U.S. Transportation Department, Department of Homeland Security and other agencies have considered the increasing availability of Covid-19 tests in the U.S. as an opening path to implementing safe travel corridors between the country and international destinations.

A Homeland Security official told Dow Jones that the agency’s work was in its early stages as it seeks to safely encourage transatlantic travel while considering public-health risks.

The Trump administration and foreign governments are considering the approval of any potential plan, Dow Jones cited a U.S. official familiar with the matter as saying. Federal officials have held talks with their counterparts in the U.K, also involving German officials. Travelers would be required to undergo a Covid-19 test before their flight and after arrival in plans under consideration.

The White House’s National Security Council has given the go-ahead for the plan to proceed in recent weeks, Dow Jones reported. A spokeswoman declined to comment, it said.

The number of new Covid-19 infections continues to surge across the U.S. and Europe, with European leaders imposing new restrictions on individual regions.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.