Cuomo asks airlines to test passengers flying from U.K.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that he has asked airlines flying into New York from the United Kingdom to make all passengers take a COVID-19 test before they get on the plane.

The Democrat said three airlines with scheduled flights from London to New York — British Airways, Delta and Virgin Atlantic — had agreed to comply.

Starting Thursday, COVID-19 testing will be required up to 72 hours prior to departure for all passengers of Delta and its partner Virgin Atlantic traveling from the U.K. to New York or Atlanta, a Delta spokeswoman said Monday.

Cuomo has been calling on the U.S. government to temporarily halt all flights from the U.K. because of the emergence of a new strain of the coronavirus.

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Numerous nations have already taken that step out of concern that the newly identified strain might be more easily transmitted.

"I think the United States should do what other countries have done, which is halt the travel," Cuomo said, adding that too much was still unknown about whether the mutated virus would pose more of a threat. "I was on the phone with top experts all weekend. We don't know if it's more deadly. We don't know how much more easily it's transmitted."

Cuomo added that he believed he had the legal authority as governor to ask airlines to test passengers in the absence of federal action.

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A worker at a COVID-19 testing facility at London Heathrow Airport. (Photo courtesy of British Airways)