Fact check: Trump falsely claims plane and train passengers are being tested for the coronavirus

President Donald Trump falsely claimed Wednesday that airplane and train passengers are being given “very strong tests” for the coronavirus both before departure and after arrival.

Asked at a White House briefing if he is considering a temporary ban on domestic flights and rail travel, Trump said he was thinking about how to handle flights to and from virus “hot spots,” but that it’s “a very tough thing” to shut down “entire transportation systems.” He also claimed that there are safeguards already in place.

“They’re doing tests on airlines — very strong tests — for getting on, getting off. They’re doing tests on trains — getting on, getting off,” he said.

Facts First: There is no evidence plane and train passengers in the US are being tested for the coronavirus at all, let alone both when they get on and get off. Trump might have meant to refer to screening — which involves questioning and sometimes temperature checks — rather than actual testing, but major US airlines and rail company Amtrak are not doing screening, either. Some plane passengers are being subjected to government screening upon landing, but most passengers are not — and this screening, unlike testing, cannot conclusively determine whether someone has the virus.

Under a directive from the Trump administration, passengers returning to the US from Iran, China and most European countries must undergo “enhanced entry screening” by the federal government, which can include temperature checks and questions about their current condition and their medical history.

There is also a patchwork of state screening at airports. Some states, such as Florida and Texas have been screening passengers arriving from particular places, such as New York, New Jersey and Connecticut — states for which the federal government has issued an advisory against non-essential travel. Rhode Island has had the National Guard ask questions of people arriving at an airport in Warwick from numerous points of departure.

But screening — which can require as little as filling out a form — is not the same as a test to determine if someone has been infected. And most US passengers are not being screened in any way upon disembarking.

Other countries are doing more screening of air and rail passengers than the US. Canada announced this week that all passengers would be given a basic health check before boarding and that passengers with symptoms common to the virus would not be allowed to board.

South Korea has been testing all plane passengers arriving from Europe. South Korea has also been screening all passengers boarding flights to the US.

Amtrak, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines had not responded to requests for comment as of 3 p.m. on Thursday. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines referred questions to industry association Airlines for America, which declined to comment.

Amtrak says on its website that it has taken extra steps to protect the safety of passengers, such as increasing the frequency of cleaning and selling tickets for only half of trains’ capacity. Airlines also say they have acted to keep planes clean and to keep people aboard at greater distances than usual.