Airport Alert: Administration Will Impose Additional Travel Restrictions in Response to Coronavirus Outbreak
January 31, 2020
This afternoon TSA Administrator David Pekoske notified AAAE that the administration will be implementing travel restrictions in response to the recent coronavirus outbreak. The change in policy, effective immediately, will be implemented over the course of the next 48 hours. The following is a summary of the changes expected to be released:
This afternoon TSA Administrator David Pekoske notified AAAE that the administration will be implementing travel restrictions in response to the recent coronavirus outbreak. The change in policy, effective immediately, will be implemented over the course of the next 48 hours. The following is a summary of the changes expected to be released:
- Non-U.S. citizens who have visited China within the past 14 days will not be issued boarding passes by air carriers and will not be allowed to enter the United States;
- U.S. citizens who have been in China within the last 14 days may return to the United States, but will be required to land at one of the following seven airports where testing regimes are (or will be) in place: Chicago O'Hare, John F. Kennedy, San Francisco, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle-Tacoma, and Honolulu;
- Air crews will be exempt from these restrictions; and
- Cargo will continue to be permitted to be flown into the United States.
TSA is in the process of notifying air carriers and affected airports of these changes.
In addition, DHS' Chief Medical Officer has highly recommended that all front line DHS employees, such as Transportation Security Officers and CBP officers, wear medical masks to protect against this illness.
