In a first-of-its-kind pilot program, Delta Air Lines is launching a new COVID-19 testing protocol that will enable quarantine-free entry into Italy.
The agreement is between the airline, the Aeroporti di Roma and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
"Carefully designed COVID-19 testing protocols are the best path for resuming international travel safely and without quarantine until vaccinations are widely in place," Steve Sear, Delta President - International and Executive Vice President - Global Sales, said in a statement. "Safety is our core promise - it's at the center of this pioneering testing effort and it's the foundation of our standards for cleanliness and hygiene to help customers feel confident when they fly Delta."
The program will begin on Dec. 19 when Delta starts testing passengers and crew. If you test negative for the virus, you'll be flying from Hartsfield to Rome-Fiumicino International Airport without worrying about having to quarantine upon arrival in Italy.
For now, restrictions remain and only U.S. citizens who are permitted to travel to Italy for essential reasons, such as work, health and education, can fly.
To fly on Delta's COVID-tested flights between Atlanta and Rome, customers will need to test negative for COVID-19 through a COVID Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test taken up to 72 hours before departure; a rapid test administered at the airport in Atlanta before boarding; a rapid test on arrival in Rome-Fiumicino; and a rapid test at Rome-Fiumicino before departure to the United States.
Customers also will be asked to provide information upon entry into the U.S. to support CDC contact-tracing protocols.
Delta has engaged expert advisors from the prestigious Mayo Clinic to review and assess the customer-testing protocols needed to execute a COVID-tested flight program.
"Based on the modeling we have conducted, when testing protocols are combined with multiple layers of protection, including mask requirements, proper social distancing and environmental cleaning, we can predict that the risk of COVID-19 infection - on a flight that is 60 percent full - should be nearly one in a million," said Henry Ting, M.D., M.B.A., Chief Value Officer, Mayo Clinic.
Delta has also worked closely with the Georgia Department of Public Health to develop a blueprint for governments to reopen important international travel markets.
"The State of Georgia and the Italian government have demonstrated leadership in testing protocols and practices that can safely reopen international travel without quarantine requirements," Sear added.
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