US to Drop COVID Testing for Incoming International Air Travelers

[ReefHound]

That was Mexico's call. They wanted the tourist dollars regardless and sacrificed their people.

It's probably safer than shopping with the unvaxed, untested, unmaxed carriers I expose myself in stores with the plane's ventilation system. I just like minimizing my exposures as I have little reason to expect that I'd survive an infection. I'll wear new masks.

I think the point is that you still got on the plane to go there so you were willing to take the risk one way.

 

[Joneill]

Where would this testing take place? At TSA? At the counter? At the gate? Sounds like a logistical nightmare.

I don’t disagree - my point was that would be the only way to make sure that everyone boarding was not actively infected - testing the day before does not do that at all.

 

[noserider]

Many African nations have even less COVID-19 cases and they probably have no basic health care. The Japanese look incredibly younger than most Westerners.

Also far less testing, South Africa has been hit hard and Kenya has been hit as well. The population in Africa is a lot younger which will have helped lower death rates, no one can really say how bad the infection rates are

The U.K. is still reporting just under 1 million a week from a population of 70 million and we have no restrictions at all

 

[Joneill]

That was Mexico's call. They wanted the tourist dollars regardless and sacrificed their people.

It's probably safer than shopping with the unvaxed, untested, unmaxed carriers I expose myself in stores with the plane's ventilation system. I just like minimizing my exposures as I have little reason to expect that I'd survive an infection. I'll wear new masks.

if you are health compromised, by all means do continue to protect yourself - but it should be from EVERYONE as it’s quite obvious at this point that the vaccines and boosters do little to prevent catching and spreading Covid (they do likely prevent serious illness). I know many who have gotten Covid since January and all were fully vaxxed/boosted (many even double boosted) - none had worse than mild flu-like symptoms for a few days to a week - most much less than that.

 

[DandyDon]

the return antigen test should have been before boarding, not a day in advance.

I don’t disagree - my point was that would be the only way to make sure that everyone boarding was not actively infected - testing the day before does not do that at all.

It's all about the odds. No quick test is going to be 100% accurate, but the tests were the best attempt possible. It would have been a nightmare to do it at the airport for everyone. I damned sure wanted to know the day before, before I started packing, etc.

 

[scrane]

I don’t disagree - my point was that would be the only way to make sure that everyone boarding was not actively infected - testing the day before does not do that at all.

Let me understand. You're saying that if you cannot block 100% it's not worth blocking any infections at all? All or none? I don't believe that's what you mean to say.

 

[DandyDon]

Imagine the fun: You fail the test at the airport, you're there with your bags but can't fly, and no one is going to be in your van leaving the airport.

 

[Joneill]

Let me understand. You're saying that if you cannot block 100% it's not worth blocking any infections at all? All or none? I don't believe that's what you mean to say.

I did not say that at all - what I'm saying that testing the day ahead did not at all prevent infected people from boarding that plane and the only way to do that would be to test shortly before boarding. Theoretically (though statistically unlikely), every passenger could be negative the day before, but be positive at boarding the next day. So the premise that some want to convey that the testing would prevent new variants from spreading here is pretty ridiculous as it did no such thing. Did it prevent some positive folks from flying? Sure - but it only takes 1 to bring a new variant in and spread it.

So, I complied as I traveled, but understood it was of little real benefit for what it was portrayed to prevent by many.

 

[ReefHound]

Let me understand. You're saying that if you cannot block 100% it's not worth blocking any infections at all? All or none? I don't believe that's what you mean to say.

The question is whether preventing a small percentage of people getting infected is worth the burden of the mitigation measures. We don't preflight test for TB, measles, chickenpox, or any other contagious disease.

 

[Catito]

I liked knowing that everyone on the plane had a negative test the day before. Hate to see this end. Now anyone can fly home sick.

Well…when entering and leaving Grand Cayman, we took the test via video with an “observer.” We were honest however it was very apparent that one could fake it or switch up the procedures. For that reason, could not definitely say that everyone on our return flight was negative.