On December 22nd local time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the mutant novel coronavirus first discovered in the United Kingdom may have spread in the United States.
“Given the ongoing travel between the United Kingdom and the United States and the high prevalence of the mutant virus in the current coronavirus infection in the UK, the mutant coronavirus is likely to have spread in the United States,” the CDC said in a statement.
At present, the United States has not screened passengers from the United Kingdom for the coronavirus. Members of the White House’s coronavirus task force have asked for preflight checks on passengers, but the Trump administration has decided to take no action for the time being, according to Reuters.
Gov. Cuomo of New York has notified some airlines that require British passengers destined for New York to submit negative COVID-19 test results within 72 hours before takeoff.
