NEW YORK — Travelers arriving at Newark Airport from the United Kingdom will soon be required to present proof of a negative coronavirus test, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Thursday, following New York’s lead amid concern over a highly infectious COVID-19 strain that’s wreaking havoc across the pond.
Starting Monday, all United Airlines customers arriving at the New Jersey airport hub — regardless of nationality — will have to present negative COVID-19 tests obtained within 72 hours of departure from the U.K., Murphy said in a statement.
“As we continue to experience a second wave of COVID-19 cases, it’s critical that we take any and all precaution to mitigate the potential for further transmission,” Murphy said.
The governor stressed that all nonessential travel should be avoided, especially from the U.K. If unavoidable, Murphy said travelers will be expected to abide by self-quarantine restrictions upon arrival in the Garden State, in addition to the new test requirement.
United accepted Murphy’s order and said it will implement the same testing perquisite for travelers flying from the U.K. to Chicago; Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.
The focus on the U.K. comes amid international concern over a new mutation of COVID-19 that’s been detected in Britain.
The new variant is proving highly transmissible, setting off alarm bells among public health experts fighting the first strain of the virus, which has already killed nearly 2 million people worldwide.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has implemented strict shutdown measures across the U.K. because of the new strain, and several European countries have sealed their borders to the kingdom entirely.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called for a similar travel ban in the U.S. However, only the federal government could implement such a sweeping restriction, and so far President Donald Trump’s administration has held off.
In lieu of an outright ban, Cuomo earlier this week persuaded Virgin, British Airways and Delta to also require their British passengers to present negative coronavirus tests before traveling to New York.
“I’m only a governor, but I will do anything I can to protect the people of the state of New York,” Cuomo said during a news briefing from Albany on Monday.
