Hello,
My sister and I leave for Rome next Friday. My sister lives in a rural area and I’m looking for rapid antigen testing for her. I see a lot of rapid diagnostic testing (ID NOW). Is this an accepted test? I searched the forum but only a thread for Portugal discusses this specific test.
Thanks
Amanda
BinaxNow AG is accepted by CDC for travel. It's the live video proctored test. We're in Rome now, return Monday.
Editing,
Thanks for the comment: I’m more concerned about the test to get into Italy. On a side note, how are the restaurants when it comes to distancing, have they been crowded?
Thanks
Amanda
Amanda,
I leave for Italy in mid-December. I looked at United's website (the airline I'm using), filled in the requested information, and found their listed requirements for testing. Then, I talked to my local pharmacy to determine which tests they offered that fit the airline's requirements. Would this work for your sister?
Also, some airlines will accept a "proctored/monitored" at-home test. Again - the airline you are using would be the best resource for answers.
Sharon
I've found the information on the airline websites to be lacking in general, and especially given the sudden changes that can, and recently have, occurred. You need to go to a website for the country you are going to. You need to check this website at least daily since requirements may change on a dime.
Thank you, Sharon. We are flying delta so I’ll check their website tomorrow & see what they list as accepted and will go from there.
Amanda
Also Delta flyer, BinaxNow AG is accepted both ways by DL for TravelReady. Not sure if Italy has changed entry timing but when we flew in it was 72 hours from arrival. NOT 3 days, like the CDC used to accept (which is now down to 1 calendar day). Delta has a decent page where you enter your travel specifics & it shows requirements. Pretty easy.
Restaurants have been fairly busy, not enforcing much social distancing but every one is checking Green Pass / CDC vax card. Staff always masked. Patrons mask when not at their table. Rome & Florence enacting outdoor mask mandates when distancing isn't possible (this is new as of today). The majority of people on busy street areas are masked.
Italy got hammered hard in the pandemic and the vast majority of people are being smart. Vax rates quite high, almost 80% fully vaxxed.
We are scheduled to leave next week for Bologna & Florence. Are cloth masks OK or do we need N95/equivalent in the cities?
Thanks!
I believe most if not all airlines will require a surgical mask.
Once in Italy- the choice is yours although most Italians just wear surgical masks.
Thanks everyone for the responses. She was able to find a hometown pharmacy that offers rapid antigen.
I read that Rome is requiring masks outdoors when social distancing can’t happen, which is fine with me. I have to wear them for work/school, so I’m used to it.
Thanks again,
Amanda
We have been in Umbria for almost 5 weeks in many different towns and cities and have not seen a single person wearing a cloth mask. In Italy I’ve been wearing a new N95 mask every day, and on the trip here I put on a new mask every 3 hours because it seemed like as they got damp it got harder to breathe.
We brought way more masks with us than we needed to —- they are readily available in pharmacies here.
