TRAVEL | Guidelines For COVID-19 Tests For Airline Passengers Could Set Global Bar For Reliability Sources Say

Posted on by Arabia5AM

MILAN – A global aviation manual now under review by a UN body suggests global guidelines calling for the use of highly reliable tests when screening passengers to detect the novel coronavirus ahead of flights, three sources familiar with the matter said.

Carriers and airports are pushing for uniform global testing guidelines to waive strict quarantine a requirements that are decimating travel, with airline trade group IATA forecasting a 66% decline in 2020 air traffic because of the pandemic.

Travel restrictions and the use of testing now vary globally. Certain airlines require passengers to obtain a negative test, even as some countries allow visitors in without quarantine, while others bar all non – essential foreigners.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Manual on Testing and Cross Border Risk Management Measures, expected in November, would offer voluntary technical guidance but not oblige countries to remove quarantines.

The manual is not expected to suggest specific tests, such as antigen or polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the sources said. Instead, it would recommend passengers be screened using a test with a sensitivity and specificity of 95% so there would be few false positive and negatives, the sources added.

Some rapid tests are less sensitive and therefore more likely to miss positive cases than PCR alternatives, although the accuracy gap has narrowed.

One of the source said a range of tests, with reliability as low as around 80% to close to 100%, had initially been considered.

Another proposal is that passengers be tested up to 48 hours ahead of travel but not necessarily at the airport, the sources said. The sources declined to be identified as the discussion are confidential.

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Deputy Administrator Dan Elwell told Reuters on Wednesday that the manual would be ‘heavy handed’ or provide a prescription for testing. He did not confirm specific details about the manual.

‘It’s like ‘look, if you are going to do  pre-departure testing or arrival testing or quarantine, here’s how we think you should do it’, said Elwell, who heads an ICAO working group on issues like testing and quarantines.

ICAO said in an emailed statement the manual provides countries with a risk management framework for evaluating testing options and factors to consider, should a country elect to implement testing.

While the United States ‘would like to get to a point where quarantine is not necessary’, Elwell said, it would be difficult to create global guidelines for removing travel restrictions through testing since countries have individual concerns’, he said.

‘There are a lot mixed feelings about quarantines’.

Saudi Arabia To Invest $3.4 Bln In Vaccine,Biomedical Drugs Sector

PARIS, France – Saudi Arabia’s industry and Mineral Resources said on Friday the country would invest $3.4 billion in the vaccine and biomedical drugs sector, according to state news agency SPA. The Minister Bandar Alkhorayef, who heads the newly – established vaccines and biopharmaceutical industry committee, said the move is part of the kingdom’s push … More Saudi Arabia To Invest $3.4 Bln In Vaccine,Biomedical Drugs Sector

by Mayeiah

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Arrives In Egypt, Will Visit Jordan And Turkey Next

PARIS, France – Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Egypt on Monday and was welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel – Fattah el Sisi, state news agency SPA reported. The Crown Prince’s visit to Egypt is part of a tour that will include visiting Jordan and Turkey next. The visits were based on … More Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Arrives In Egypt, Will Visit Jordan And Turkey Next

by Arabia5AM

Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Establishes National Media Office in UAE

PARIS, France – Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, the UAE’s deputy prime minister and minister of presidential affairs, on Wednesday launched the National Media Office. The unit is tasked with developing the media sector, legislation, regulations, and decisions on media development while also monitoring the implementation of legislation in coordination with the relevant authorities and administrative … More Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Establishes National Media Office in UAE

by Arabia5AM

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala And EQT Fund To Buy Sweden’s Envirotainer

PARIS, France – Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala and a fund managed by European buyout firm EQT have agreed to buy Envirotainer, a Swedish company which leases out cold containers for shipping temperature – sensitive healthcare products. Mubadala and the EQT X fund are buying the company from European buyout firm Cinven and Denmark life … More Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala And EQT Fund To Buy Sweden’s Envirotainer

by Arabia5AM

Russia’s Lavrov To Meet With GCC Ministers In Riyadh On Wednesday – Officials

PARIS, France – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday where he will meet with the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC), two Gulf officials said on Tuesday. Lavrov is expected to meet with ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar in … More Russia’s Lavrov To Meet With GCC Ministers In Riyadh On Wednesday – Officials

by Arabia5AM

Dubai Cooling Firm Empower Invited Banks To Pitch For IPO – Sources

DUBAI – Dubai’s Emirates Central Cooling System Cooperation (Empower) has invited investment banks to pitch for roles in its planned initial public offering, which is slated for later this years, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. Empower, which is part owned by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), has asked banks to … More Dubai Cooling Firm Empower Invited Banks To Pitch For IPO – Sources

by Arabia5AM

Saudi Finance Minister Says No Immediate Plans To Transfer More Funds To PIF

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND – Saudi Arabia’s finance minister said on Monday there were no immediate plans to transfer more funds to the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund at the centre of the kingdom’s plans to diversify its economy away from oil. The PIF manages over $600 billion in assets, a figure that has … More Saudi Finance Minister Says No Immediate Plans To Transfer More Funds To PIF

by Arabia5AM

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s