CDC Now Accepts Home COVID-19 Tests for International Travelers to US

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it will now accept home COVID-19 tests for international flights to the U.S.

But there’s a catch – the home test must be supervised remotely and in real time by a telehealth provider associated with the test manufacturer, according to a story by Fox News.

Currently, all travelers flying into the U.S. from another country are required to provide a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than three days before departure, according to the CDC web page. Passengers must provide documentation of their negative test to their airline before boarding.

The CDC updated its testing requirements Friday to allow travelers flying into the U.S. from another country to use home tests for their required negative test results.

But the home tests have to be either a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) or an antigen test approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration.

A telehealth provider affiliated with the test manufacturer must be present remotely in real time to supervise the traveler’s self-test. The proctor, if you will, will confirm the identity of the traveler, supervise the procedure and log the result.

Travelers can then present their test results to airlines and U.S. officials at their port of entry.

“International travel poses additional risks and even fully vaccinated travelers are at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading new COVID-19 variants,” the CDC says on its website. “CDC recommends delaying international travel until you are fully vaccinated.”