Alaska to Require Negative COVID-19 Test for Travelers, Cruise Passengers

(1:55 p.m. EDT) – Alaska has become the first state

to officially require

all travelers to provide proof they do not carry the COVID-19 coronavirus in order to bypass the mandatory 14-day quarantine process that is currently in effect.Beginning Saturday, June 6, all travelers arriving into Alaska by air will be asked to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in the state.Those who are unable to get tested before then will be able to take a test at the airport when they land in Alaska but will be required to self-quarantine until the results come back negative. If the results come back positive, travelers will be required to isolate at their own expense until they are cleared by a healthcare professional.Travelers opting to be tested upon arrival will also be required to get a second test between one and two weeks after their first arrival into the state.These new regulations are in place for all visitors to the state of Alaska, regardless of nationality, and apply to American travelers coming from other states on domestic flights.Travelers coming to Alaska are required to fill out

an online form

prior to their arrival in the state.Any traveler who refuses to get a COVID-19 PCR test at the airport will be required to self-isolate for 14 days at their own expense.These rules and regulations would also apply to cruise passengers looking to fly to Alaska for a cruise. While all of the big cruise lines have canceled their 2020 Alaska seasons due largely in part to Transport Canada's ban on cruise ships over 100 people entering Canadian waters through the end of October, smaller U.S.-based lines like UnCruise Adventures are still hoping to see a shorter season re-start.It is not known how long Alaska's current travel restrictions will be in place, though it is safe to assume this will be the new normal until the public health emergency surrounding COVID-19 has been declared over.