
Prepare for big spikes in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in areas with low vaccination rates, experts say.ĭr. Those who test positive must stay home for at least 10 days after their symptoms began, or, if there are no symptoms, then at least 10 days after the test was taken.Ĭalifornia California braces for Omicron wave amid grim forecasts, concerns for hospitals It’s irresponsible for people who test positive to continue going out and leaving home without adhering to isolation requirements, Ferrer said. You can consider following up the rapid test with a PCR test to confirm the infection. If a rapid test is positive, “you must consider yourself infected and isolate immediately,” Terashita said. Rapid tests can result in a small number of people getting a negative test result when they are actually positive for the virus. A negative rapid test result may seem promising, but Terashita suggested that a symptomatic person follow that test with a PCR test, in which a sample must be sent to a lab for analysis, with results coming back in one to two days.Īnyone who is symptomatic - even those who have a negative rapid test - should stay home and away from others, Terashita said.

carriers to enforce their own mask policies.If you have symptoms, health officials say you should get tested. The Trump administration has refused to implement such a regulation, leaving the U.S. They've also been pleading for a federal policy requiring passengers to wear face masks.

government to establish a federal coronavirus testing program. To try to boost business, airlines and travel trade groups have been calling on the U.S. Other airlines are working on developing their own coronavirus testing for passengers in hopes that enabling travelers to bypass quarantine requirements would spark an increase in air travel, especially to international destinations. The airline notes that the coronavirus testing will complement "state-of-the-art cleaning and safety measures that include a mandatory mask policy, antimicrobial and electrostatic spraying" of airplane cabin interiors, and "hospital-grade HEPA air filtration systems." "We'll look to quickly expand customer testing to other destinations and U.S.

"Our new COVID testing program is another way we are helping customers meet their destinations' entry requirements, safely and conveniently," United Chief Customer Officer Toby Enqvist said in a statement. If the pilot program is successful, United says it hopes to expand preflight testing to other airports across the country. airline to offer such on-the-spot, preflight coronavirus testing. According to data from the industry group Airlines for America, carriers are flying 70% fewer flights to and from the Hawaiian islands, and travel into the state is down 94%. Hawaii's economy is largely dependent on tourism and has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline says it worked alongside the Hawaii government to ensure the test meets state requirements - so travelers who test negative for the coronavirus within 72 hours of their arrival will not be subject to Hawaii's mandatory 14-day quarantine for those coming to the state. United customers also will have the option of a self-administered, mail-in test that they would need to submit within 72 hours before their flight. The rapid tests, developed by Abbott Laboratories, can provide results in 15 minutes.

The tests will be offered to United customers going to Hawaii from San Francisco International Airport in a pilot program beginning Oct. In another effort aimed at getting travelers back on planes, United Airlines will begin offering on-the-spot coronavirus testing to some passengers at the airport before they board their flight. The carrier says it's starting a pilot program next month that will offer rapid coronavirus testing at the airport or via a self-collected, mail-in test ahead of a flight. United Airlines baggage tags are displayed on a table at San Francisco International Airport.
