US To Stop COVID-19 Screening For International Arrivals Starting Next Week: Reports

The United States government will stop conducting enhanced COVID-19 screening of international inbound passengers, Yahoo News reported Wednesday.

What Happened: International flights would no longer be channeled through designated airports for screening beginning at 12:01 a.m. next Monday, according to the sources of Yahoo News.

CNN independenly confirmed the move of the administration, citing three unnamed sources. A TSA official told the network that the screenings are coming to an end as the agency only identified less than 15 people as having COVID-19, out of the 675,000 passengers screened at 15 airports.

Why It Matters: The White House gave the orders to end the screenings and these were meant to be kept secret until publicly announced, Yahoo News reported.

Agencies involved in the screening shutdown are reportedly working frantically to prepare for implementing the change.

The travel slump caused by the pandemic has severely affected airlines with American Airlines Group, Inc AAL set to eliminate 19,000 jobs at the beginning of October. Others such as Delta Air Lines, Inc DAL have also signaled job cuts.

Carriers such as American and Delta are eliminating ticket change fees in the backdrop of shrinking demand for air travel.

Photo courtesy: Ptrump16 via Wikimedia