An empty International Arrivals hall is pictured at Terminal Two of London Heathrow Airport in west London, on May 9, 2020.
JUSTIN TALLIS | AFP | Getty Images
As the holiday season kicks in, U.S. officials are aiming to shorten the travel quarantine time for trips between New York City and London, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.
Officials at the Transportation Department and the Department of Homeland Security are in talks to establish safe travel between the U.S. and international destinations by testing travelers before and after their flights for Covid-19 in an effort to shorten quarantine time, according to the Journal.
Rapid tests, which trade some accuracy for speed, are expected to be used as a primary tool.
Both the Trump administration and foreign government must agree to the plan, according to one U.S. official familiar with the efforts, according to the Journal.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately return comments.
Federal officials have been in talks with their U.K. counterparts and German officials on the matter.
Previously, the limited availability of testing in the U.S. prompted longer wait times and stalled efforts to open international travel.
U.S. citizens can travel to the U.K. but must quarantine for 14 days and cannot travel to the European Union. The U.S. also bars entry to travelers from the U.K. and Europe, unless they are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
