Traveler Education: Guide
Face Covering Policies and Plans
Face Masks
Airports and airlines encouraged people to properly wear a mask that covered both their nose and mouth. Most airports had the opportunity to obtain masks through federal funding to provide to airport employees and tenants, as well as passengers. Wearing a mask or face covering is necessary in high-risk areas with limited spacing where social distancing cannot be maintained. Face coverings can be temporarily removed as part of the airlines’ check-in processes, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) screening, or other instances where identification was required. Individuals were allowed to temporarily remove masks to eat, drink, take medication, or engage in personal hygiene activities with the proper social distancing of six feet or more.
Traveler Screening Policies
International Passenger Screening
Temperature screening, questionnaires, and actual testing were used to screen international passengers upon entry to the United States. Some airports partnered with local emergency medical services (EMS) to screen international travelers. Some airlines implemented a COVID-19 testing program for passengers flying to and from certain international destinations. This program required passengers to be tested by a private company before boarding and only passengers who tested negative would be allowed to board the flight. In line with best practices, passengers who tested positive would undergo additional testing for either clearance or denial of boarding.
Vaccination Requirement Policies
Vaccination
Multiple airports and airlines had the opportunity to offer financial incentives to their employees for getting tested weekly. Some airports offered their employees paid time off from work to get tested. For some airport employees that tested positive or exhibited symptoms, up to 80 hours of paid leave was provided. Once most employees were vaccinated, many airports reduced these benefits to 40 hours of paid leave.
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