Wednesday 18 May 2022 10:28 PM CDC now recommends ALL US domestic travelers get tested for COVID-19 trends now
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends Americans who are traveling within the U.S. to get tested for covid in the days leading up to their trip - no matter their vaccine status.
It is an update from previous domestic travel guidance, that only recommended people who were not up to date with their booster shots get tested.
The recommendation is non-binding, and there are no requirements being put in place. Although unlikely, there is a chance that some airliners, bus or train operators institute requirements based on CDC guidance.
International travelers to the U.S are already required to show proof of a negative covid test taken within 24 hours of travel, per CDC guidelines, and also have been vaccinated.
The move comes as covid cases begin to rise once again in the U.S, approaching the 100,000 per day mark heading into the upcoming summer months.
As the cases have started to rise, Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, has begun to urge officials to take measure that will curb the spread of the virus - including mandates.
'We urge local leaders to encourage use of prevention strategies like masks in public indoor settings and increasing access to testing and treatment,' she said during a White House briefing with reporters on Wednesday.
'Consider getting tested as close to the time of departure as possible (no more than three days) before your trip,' the CDC writes in its updated guidance.
There are currently now federal regulations regarding masks, tests or vaccines for domestic travel.
Last month, a federal court in Florida struck down the CDC's mask order for public transit, leaving the agency with little power to set enforceable rules.
Individual localities can set rules, though, with New York City, for example,
