The federal government will halt coronavirus symptom screening at airports, one of the first policies enacted to prevent viral transmission in the United States, in exchange for a “new, more effective strategy.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a series of vague new screening policies, such as “pre-departure, in-flight, and post-arrival health education for passengers,” “voluntary collection of contact information from passengers,” and “potential testing to reduce the risk of travel-related transmission.”
The latest screening guidelines note that the coronavirus can be transmitted from people who have not shown symptoms of infection. The policy of screening for symptoms only, the CDC said Thursday, had “limited effectiveness because people with COVID-19 may have no symptoms or fever at the time of screening, or only mild symptoms.”
“Transmission of the virus may occur from passengers who have no symptoms or who have not yet developed symptoms of infection. Therefore, CDC is shifting its strategy and prioritizing other public health measures to reduce the risk of travel-related disease transmission,” the CDC said.
One of the Trump administration’s first moves to keep the coronavirus out of the U.S. was to filter international arrivals through 15 specific airports in major hubs. The policy was initially enacted in January, when CDC officials said the coronavirus did not pose a threat to the public.
