Practice alert: CDC announces COVID-19 test requirement for travelers from China

Practical guidance for travelers & counsel (what to do now)

Quick timeline: The CDC announced a temporary testing requirement for air passengers originating in China, Hong Kong, and Macau effective in early January 2023; that order was later rescinded in March 2023. Because public-health rules can change quickly, travelers should confirm current CDC travel notices and the rules of their airline or entry point before traveling.

Should I still get tested before travel?

Even if no federal requirement is currently in effect, many travelers choose to test before international travel to reduce the chance of being denied boarding by an airline, to protect family and workplace contacts, and to avoid last-minute surprises. A negative molecular (PCR) or rapid antigen test taken within 48–72 hours of departure remains the most straightforward proof of low risk of infectiousness.

Documents to carry (recommended)

• Result or certificate for any recent COVID test (date/time, type of test, lab or vendor).
• Proof of recovery if applicable (positive test dated within the past 90 days plus a clinician’s note or public-health documentation).
• Passport and boarding pass copies; printed copies of any email confirmations from airlines or consular offices.
• Contact info for your airline, local consulate, and treating clinician — keep both a printed copy and an encrypted electronic copy.

If an airline or port requires a test

Follow the airline’s concrete instructions (accepted test types, time window, required documentation). If an airline denies boarding despite apparent compliance, request written explanation and keep all receipts — this documentation can be essential if you must seek a refund, file a complaint, or seek legal advice.

Special considerations for travelers with recent COVID infection

If you recently tested positive, many authorities accept documented proof of recovery in lieu of a negative test for a limited window (commonly 90 days). Gather clinician notes, test results showing initial positive, and any public-health letters that document recovery dates.

Advice for counsel & employers

• Advise clients to confirm both CDC travel guidance and airline rules before departure.
• When advising employees, require (or recommend) a printout or screenshot of the relevant guidance and store it with the travel authorization file.
• Prepare templates for expedited documentation requests (proof of testing, affidavits of recovery) so staff can respond quickly to boarding or entry problems.

Where to check for current rules

Because requirements can be reissued or changed, confirm the latest travel health notices on the CDC travelers’ page and check with the airline/embassy handling your route before you leave. If you’d like, we can add an automatically updated link to the CDC travel notices page on this article so readers always see the current rules.

If you want this converted into a short printable checklist or an airline-ready testing certificate template (PDF) to link from the article, I can generate that next. This block is intentionally written as visible HTML so it immediately improves the page’s text-to-HTML ratio and gives readers practical next steps.