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British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Delta Airlines Will Require UK Passengers Flying to New York to test negative for COVID-19 before their flight. They agreed to Governor Cuomo's request to test passengers for the new, more highly contagious viral strain.
The new COVID-19 strain is thought to be up to 70% more infectious, although so far there's no evidence it's more deadly. The new strain is already the most dominant coronavirus type found in south east England.
A number of other countries have already banned UK flights, and the more contagious strain has already been detected in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy, and suspected to already be in Germany, France, and the U.S.
British Airways is sending the following to UK passengers bound for New York:
“Before you travel, please be aware that we now require customers to produce evidence of a negative Covid test certificate before travel to New York. The test certificate must be issued no later than 72 hours prior to your departure time to New York. The test certificate will need to be presented at check-in when you arrive for your flight at London Heathrow Terminal 5. Without following these requirements in the required timeframe, you may not be allowed to board your flight.”
So far the testing requirement isn't applicable to transit passengers, who originate outside the UK and are only transiting through a UK airport en route to New York.
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