Imposing quarantine measures on arriving passengers would keep countries in isolation and further harm the aviation sector. IATA said.
Fortunately, there are alternatives that can reduce the risk of importing COVID-19 infections while still allowing for the resumption of travel and tourism that are vital to jumpstarting national economies.
IATA is proposing some alternatives that would prevent sick people from travelling and to mitigate the risk of transmission in case travelers discover they were infected after arrival. IATA’s Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said.
IATA focuses on two areas where it encourages a layering of bio-safety measures:
Reducing The Risk of Imported Cases Via Travelers
Discouraging symptomatic passengers from traveling: It is important that passengers do not travel when ill. To encourage passengers to do the right thing and stay home if they are not well. Airlines are offering passengers flexibility in adjusting their bookings.
Public health risk mitigation measures: IATA supports health screening by governments in the form of health declarations. To avoid privacy issues and cut the risk of infection with paper documents, standardized contactless electronic declarations via government web portals or government mobile applications are recommended. Health screening using measures such as non-intrusive temperature checks can also play an important role. Although temperature check are not the most effective screening method for COVID-19 symptoms, but it makes passengers feel safer when traveling.
COVID-19 testing for travelers from countries perceived to be higher-risk: When accepting travelers from countries where the rate of new infections is significantly higher, the arrival authority could consider COVID-19 testing. It is recommended that tests are undertaken prior to arrival at the departure airport with documentation to prove a negative result.
Mitigating Risk in Cases Where an Infected Person Does Travel
Reducing the risk of transmission during the air travel journey: IATA encourages the universal implementation Take-Off guidelines published by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Which include mask wearing throughout the travel process, sanitization, health declarations and social distancing where possible.
Contact tracing: This is the back-up measure, should someone be detected as infected after arrival. Rapid identification and isolation of contacts contains the risk without large-scale economic or social disruption. New mobile technology has the potential to automate part of the contact-tracing process, provided privacy concerns can be addressed.
Reducing risk of transmission at destination: Governments are taking measures to limit the spread of the virus in their territory that will also mitigate the risk from travelers. In addition, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travel protocols provide a pragmatic approach for the hospitality sector to enable safe tourism and restore traveler confidence. Areas of the industry covered by the protocols include hospitality, attractions, retail, tour operators, and meeting planners.
“Safely restarting the economy is a priority. That includes travel and tourism. Quarantine measures may play a role in keeping people safe, but they will also keep many unemployed. The alternative is to reduce risks through a series of measures".
"Airlines are already offering flexibility so there is no incentive for sick or at-risk people to travel. Health declarations, screening and testing by governments will add extra layers of protection. And if someone travels while infected, we can reduce the risk of transmission with protocols to prevent the spread during travel or when at destination. And effective contact tracing can isolate those most at risk without major disruptions,” said de Juniac.
There are some hurdles to being able to implement the full suite of measures. “Data transmission, required for health declarations, testing and tracing, raises privacy concerns. And mutually recognized standards would be needed for testing. Governments have a common interest in finding solutions. The rapid agreement by governments to ICAO’s Take-Off guidelines demonstrates that progress on complex issues is possible where there is the political will to do so." de Juniac added.
Credit: IATA Pressroom.
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