Rome to not quarantine passengers coming from New York, Newark or Atlanta airports as Italy tries ‘Covid tested’ flights | Travel - Hindustan Times
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Rome to not quarantine passengers coming from New York, Newark or Atlanta airports as Italy tries ‘Covid tested’ flights

Rome | ByPress Trust of India | Posted by Zarafshan Shiraz
Nov 27, 2020 08:11 AM IST

Italy to soon approve an experiment of ‘Covid tested’ flights of Alitalia and Delta Air Lines from three US airports - New York, Newark and Atlanta so that passengers wouldn’t have to quarantine if they test negative for the coronavirus within 48 hours of departure and also upon arrival in Rome

Italian authorities will soon approve an experiment with “Covid tested” flights from three US airports with the aim of eliminating the required 14-day quarantine for passengers arriving in Italy, Rome’s main airport has said.

Rome airport poised to try ‘Covid tested’ flights from US(Twitter/stevekrohn)
Rome airport poised to try ‘Covid tested’ flights from US(Twitter/stevekrohn)

ADR, which operates Leonardo da Vinci Airport, said that similar “Covid tested” corridors were also expected to be approved for flights between the airport and the German cities of Munich and Frankfurt.

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An ADR statement on Thursday said that pending approval from Italy’s transport, health and foreign ministries, starting sometime in December passengers coming from New York, Newark or Atlanta airports wouldn’t have to quarantine if they test negative for the coronavirus within 48 hours of departure and also upon arrival in Rome. The experiment involves Alitalia and Delta Air Lines.

Under pandemic rules in effect in Italy through at least December 3, the only passengers who can enter the country from the United States are citizens of European Union nations, relatives of EU citizens, holders of Italian residency permits or those coming for reasons of study or a few other, essential purposes like health care.

Coming from the United States to Italy for tourism isn’t allowed. Nothing in the ADR statement indicated that is about to change, even as Italy reels under plummeted tourist revenues during the pandemic.

ADR expressed hopes that the limited, experimental program will prove workable and be expanded by next summer.

Delta Air Lines said in a statement that along with Rome’s airport and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, it has joined in a “first-of-a-kind trans-Atlantic Covid -19 testing program that will enable quarantine-free entrance into Italy.” It quoted Delta executive Steve Sear as saying that “carefully designed Covid -19 testing protocols are the best path for resuming international travel safely and without quarantine until vaccinations are widely in place.” The airline’s statement said Delta’s “dedicated trial” involving testing customers and crew would begin December 19.

In contrast with the ADR statement, Delta said testing would be threefold: Passengers would be tested up to 72 hours before departure; a rapid test would be conducted at the airport in Atlanta; and another rapid test administered upon arrival in Rome. Travelers also would undergo one more test at Rome’s airport before departing for the United States.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

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