Airport Alert: U.S. Coronavirus Challenges May Restrict Travel to Europe; National Preparedness Planning Still Needed
June 23, 2020
In preparation for European Union (EU) countries to reopen their borders after months of coronavirus-related travel restrictions, the EU is developing a common list of acceptable visitors based on how countries are faring with the coronavirus pandemic. The New York Times is reporting that, based on draft proposals, travelers from the United States would be excluded due to our inability to curb the outbreak. The list will not be finalized until July 1 when the existing travel restrictions on non-essential travel are set to expire. Once finalized, the list of acceptable visitors will be revised every two weeks based on updated infection rates.
Separately, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) testified today before the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee about the impacts of communicable disease on air travel. GAO's Heather Krause, Director of Physical Infrastructure, stressed the importance of ensuring that the United States is prepared to respond to disease threats from air travel. She specifically noted an earlier GAO recommendation that the United States needs to develop a comprehensive plan for national aviation preparedness to limit the spread of communicable diseases. A link to her testimony can be found here.
The transmission of COVID-19 is the latest communicable disease threat to raise public health concerns about the spread of contagions through air travel. In 2015, during the Ebola epidemic, GAO first recommended that the Department of Transportation (DOT) work with relevant stakeholders, such as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to develop a national aviation-preparedness plan for communicable disease outbreaks. GAO concluded that the absence of a national plan undermined the ability of the public health and aviation sectors to coordinate a response to COVID-19 or to provide consistent guidance to airlines and airports.
According to GAO, the recommended preparedness plan was not completed because DOT believed that HHS and the Department of Homeland Security should have been in charge. In contrast, GAO believes that DOT is the best agency to lead this effort because of its strong ties to airlines, airports, and other aviation stakeholders and continues to recommend the plan be developed.
Krause testified that such a plan would have provided a mechanism for the public health and aviation sectors to coordinate more effectively to prevent and control a communicable disease threat such as the current coronavirus global pandemic. This plan would have also helped to minimize unnecessary disruptions to the national aviation system, including the significant disruptions that have occurred to date. As part of her testimony, Krause highlighted the piecemeal approach to adopting standards during the response to COVID-19, specifically mentioning various airline and airport policies regarding facemasks, to demonstrate the need for a more coordinated response. She noted that if DOT had made such a plan, as recommended by GAO in 2015, it could have "reduced some of the confusion" passengers experienced this year as airlines and airports put in place policies on face coverings and other matters. She also noted that such a plan would have helped the government with contact tracing.
More information about the hearing, including a video and statement from other hearing witnesses, can be found here.
Separately, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) testified today before the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee about the impacts of communicable disease on air travel. GAO's Heather Krause, Director of Physical Infrastructure, stressed the importance of ensuring that the United States is prepared to respond to disease threats from air travel. She specifically noted an earlier GAO recommendation that the United States needs to develop a comprehensive plan for national aviation preparedness to limit the spread of communicable diseases. A link to her testimony can be found here.
The transmission of COVID-19 is the latest communicable disease threat to raise public health concerns about the spread of contagions through air travel. In 2015, during the Ebola epidemic, GAO first recommended that the Department of Transportation (DOT) work with relevant stakeholders, such as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to develop a national aviation-preparedness plan for communicable disease outbreaks. GAO concluded that the absence of a national plan undermined the ability of the public health and aviation sectors to coordinate a response to COVID-19 or to provide consistent guidance to airlines and airports.
According to GAO, the recommended preparedness plan was not completed because DOT believed that HHS and the Department of Homeland Security should have been in charge. In contrast, GAO believes that DOT is the best agency to lead this effort because of its strong ties to airlines, airports, and other aviation stakeholders and continues to recommend the plan be developed.
Krause testified that such a plan would have provided a mechanism for the public health and aviation sectors to coordinate more effectively to prevent and control a communicable disease threat such as the current coronavirus global pandemic. This plan would have also helped to minimize unnecessary disruptions to the national aviation system, including the significant disruptions that have occurred to date. As part of her testimony, Krause highlighted the piecemeal approach to adopting standards during the response to COVID-19, specifically mentioning various airline and airport policies regarding facemasks, to demonstrate the need for a more coordinated response. She noted that if DOT had made such a plan, as recommended by GAO in 2015, it could have "reduced some of the confusion" passengers experienced this year as airlines and airports put in place policies on face coverings and other matters. She also noted that such a plan would have helped the government with contact tracing.
More information about the hearing, including a video and statement from other hearing witnesses, can be found here.
