Covid testing and the airlines?

What I heard on the news was that US airlines want the US to drop the test requirement for fully vaccinated passengers coming to the US.

Promote travel by not having the threat of quarantine in a foreign country when you are coming home, seems to be the reasoning.

From Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/airlines-urge-white-house-end-covid-international-travel-testing-rules-2022-02-02/

It is neither the airlines or the US federal govt that is requiring testing to travel TO another country. It is the other country that is requiring testing for entry

Portugal just dropped their requirement, I’m hoping others follow

USA still requires testing for RETURN or ENTRY to USA from another country
It would be great if that changed soon but I’m doubtful

Proof of vaccination and boosters should be enough and we don’t even require that on domestic flights

For fully vaccinated individuals of course.

It is neither the airlines or the US federal govt that is requiring testing to travel TO another country. It is the other country that is requiring testing for entry.

Bingo

All in all, it is a minor inconvenience to test before departing to Italy. The paperwork aspect of the US return is annoying. If they would just drop that part of it we would only have the inconvenience of a test before returning.

That is my whole point here. I am not so concerned about testing prior to traveling to Italy. My concern is the return trip back to the US. One has no way to know if one is going to test positive prior to boarding the plane for the trip home. I think they (the US government) should drop the requirement to test prior to re-entry to the US for fully vaccinated individuals. I don't want to get stuck in Italy if I test positive.

Rome2022, I totally agree. That’s the part that makes me most nervous. I know several people who won’t travel because of just that. At this point in time, I think we cannot stop the spread….it’s all over, everywhere. Now that we have the vaccine, it’s time to move forward. These restrictions don’t do any good whatsoever now. I’m cautiously optimistic that in the spring we will see other countries rolling back like the UK and Denmark.

I’m unfamiliar with the paperwork to re-enter the US. Just another thing to learn.

I was pretty fearful of a positive test when I returned from Berlin in September. I was much relieved when I got my negative test by e-mail. I was less fearful when I returned from Europe in October.

Hopefully people realize that just because you are vaccinated does not mean you are immune from catching Covid. Putting a positive person on a flight is just asking to have it spread. That is why they want everyone tested. It helps stop the spread. Believe me, I think you will find that Europeans in general take the masking, social distancing and just being more cautious far more seriously than we do in the states.

Putting a positive person on a flight is just asking to have it
spread.

and that is my point. thousands if not millions of people are boarding planes every day here and flying all over the country. no test, no vaccination proof required.
i had to fly out to california twice last summer and i was more worried about exposure then than i ever will be in italy where COVID is taken seriously. masking was "sort of enforced" on the plane (amazing how many people think they breathe out of their chin), social distancing was non-existent.

yet those us who choose to travel abroad are subject to testing and risking the need to isolate if we happen to be positive.
a negative test is ONLY NEGATIVE in that moment the test is taken.

i have no problem testing, masking, distancing- been extremely vigilant all along (and actually pre COVID as well since my husband is extremely immuno-compromised)

i have a problem with the inconsistency- if we have to test to board a flight to enter US we should have to test or at least show vaccination proof to fly domestically
but of course we can't do that because of reasons...

What is the latest on travel to and within Italy in June? My 3rd booster was on 8/28/21…. Earlier than most as MD.. I cannot enter or go in restaurants due to booster older than 6 months ?

Booster validity of 6 months requirement has been dropped
You’re good to go (with negative test to and from and other paper work)

Rome2022 is correct.

The ONLY reason that I am not traveling to Europe this year (I was scheduled to go in 2020) is the threat of having to quarantine in Europe if I test positive on the way home. I still work and they will not hold my job for an additional two weeks nor can I afford another 2 weeks of hotel costs.

I am vaccinated and boosted and plan on traveling to Europe in 2023. I hope things will be better.

Where are people on the forum seeing the information about having a Covid test 48 hours before your tour starts. I've been looking for that information for a couple of hours (it's probably someplace really obvious and I'm just not seeing it). And these same people are saying that it applies to tours only in March and April. My tour starts at the beginning of May. I realize things are fluid and RS will continue updating requirements as the dates get closer--I'd just like to be on the same page as the rest of you. Also, I understand that at this point, RS will accept either the PCR or the rapid antigen test. If you use the latter 48 hours before the tour starts, how do you report the results to the tour guide? Has anyone heard this information?

Thanks for any help!

You’ll get a more accurate response by contacting the tour office with your questions or at least post your questions in a new more “tour” specific thread.

Northwestcoyote:
You'll find the information on supplying a negative covid test 48 hours prior to your tour departing in your tour account. Look under "Documents" and select "Tour Member Expectations", it's near the bottom of the page. Our tour is for early May and it's included in our documents.