United and Abbott have announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration to use Abbott’s BinaxNOW COVID-19 Home Test and Abbott’s NAVICA app to help make the international travel experience more seamless. Recently updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines permit travelers to self-administer a rapid antigen test under the real-time supervision of a telehealth service and use the verified negative test result to board an international flight to the U.S. if they test negative.
“We appreciate the private sector proactively helping travelers have access to easy, reliable COVID-19 test options,” said CDC director Rochelle P. Walensky. “Comprehensive testing that is easy, rapid, accurate and trusted is a fundamental strategy for preventing the spread of COVID-19.”
United customers can depart the United States with the BinaxNOW Home Test in their carry-on bag and administer the test via the eMed digital health platform while overseas, avoiding the need to find a testing center abroad. United is the only airline to offer end-to-end integration between a digital platform and a testing app with the integration between the United Travel Ready Center platform and Abbott’s NAVICA app, which provides a seamless passenger experience when departing and re-entering the United States. Since the Travel Ready Center launched in January, United customers have been able to access testing or vaccine requirements needed for travel destinations, upload completed test results and vaccine records, as well as have them verified, all within the United app.
“We want to give our customers greater peace of mind that when they travel internationally, they’ll be able to return to the U.S quickly and safely,” said Toby Enqvist, chief customer officer at United. “The Abbott BinaxNOW Home Test meets CDC requirements and, along with our partners at Abbott, United is doubling down on our commitment to make international travel as safe and convenient as possible by offering an easy testing option when customers are ready to return to the United States.”
The BinaxNOW Home Test kit is lightweight, about the size of a day planner and fits easily into a passenger’s carry-on luggage, briefcase or purse. It is recommended that passengers travel with more than one BinaxNOW test in their possession in the event of an inconclusive test result.
The BinaxNOW COVID-19 rapid test can help restore a sense of normalcy to everyday life by reuniting family members and loved ones, providing additional confidence while traveling, and making it easier to do international business. Authorized since August 2020, more than 200 million BinaxNOW tests have been distributed throughout the United States, where they’ve been used by K-12 schools, universities, nursing homes, and underserved communities and serve as a powerful tool to help prevent the virus from spreading.
For a detailed description of the Abbott home-testing process, visit united.emed.com.
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