Quarantine measures threaten aviation restart in Middle East
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments in the Middle Africa and the Middle East (AME) to implement alternatives to quarantine on arrival that would allow economies to re-start while avoiding the importation of COVID-19 cases.
IATA urges Middle Eastern governments to implement alternatives to quarantine. Image IATA
- Reducing the risk of imported cases via travellers
- Discouraging symptomatic passengers from traveling with airlines offering flexibility to passengers who need to adjust their schedule.
- Public health risk mitigation measures such as health screening by governments in the form of health declarations.
- COVID-19 testing for travelers from countries perceived to be “higher-risk” when accurate and fast testing is available at scale.
- Mitigating Risk in Cases Where an Infected Person Does Travel
- Reducing the risk of transmission during the air travel journey with the implementation of the Take-Off guidelines published by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
- Contact tracing to efficiently isolate any traveler who may become symptomatic and infectious after arrival.
- Reducing risk of transmission at destination through overall government measures to fight the virus.