Delta requires a health screening if you won't wear a mask
![A group of men wore masks as they waited for the American Airlines flight Wednesday at MSP. ] ANTHONY SOUFFLE • anthony.souffle@startribune.com The scene looked drastically different than normal at MSP Airport as efforts to deal with the Coronavirus have taken their toll on air travel and the airline industry Wednesday, March 25, 2020 in St. Paul, Minn.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/5JYQSICBV5RVX36354ADAIRK74.jpg?&w=712)
Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines say they will continue to block middle or adjacent seats through Sept. 30. The airlines say the measure is designed to reassure the public of their safety in the air. "More space matters, and more space is better for you," said Drake Castañeda, a spokesman for Delta. Delta has also begun asking travelers who can't wear a mask for health reasons to reconsider flying; if they do decide to travel, they will be subjected to a private health screening at the airport to determine whether they will be allowed to fly.
New York Times
Masks mandatory at MSP
Anyone inside Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, except those with certain health conditions, must now cover their nose and mouth, said Brian Ryks, CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, in a statement. MSP joins other major U.S. airports in the rule, including ones in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Denver, Seattle, Boston, San Francisco and Chicago. "You might not choose to wear a face covering for your own protection, but you must do so for the protection of those around you when at MSP," Ryks said. Gov. Tim Walz has also mandated wearing masks in all public indoor spaces statewide.
Kerri Westenberg
Minnesota gets off N.Y.'s list
New York has removed Minnesota from its travel restriction list after only one week. The list now includes 31 other states from which travelers are expected to quarantine themselves for 14 days upon arrival in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. New York places states on the restriction list once a week based on their COVID-19 case rates per 100,000 people and their test positivity rates. Minnesota was the only state removed from the list last week. But the decision appears to have occurred before Minnesota reported a single-day high of 922 new cases last Monday.
Staff report
Airlines call for restoring transatlantic travel
Major airlines are urging the U.S. and the European Union to quickly restore transatlantic air travel by deploying a joint COVID-19 testing program. CEOs of United, American Airlines, IAG and Lufthansa wrote Tuesday that "given the unquestioned importance of transatlantic air travel to the global economy as well as to the economic recovery of our businesses, we believe it is critical to find a way to reopen air services between the U.S. and Europe." They said a testing program "could be an excellent opportunity for government and industry to work together" and "safely restore passenger travel between the U.S. and Europe."
Associated Press
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