Travelers walk through Newark International Airport on November 21 in Newark, New Jersey. | Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

A negative test isn’t enough to have a safe holiday. Here’s why.

More frequent Covid-19 testing is one key to help end the pandemic. But as individuals, we can’t rely on testing alone to protect ourselves and others.

Take this recent example: Public health officials in New Zealand reported on a cluster of cases that likely spread aboard a long-haul flight. Yet the suspected index cases — the people who likely spread the virus to others — tested negative for the virus a couple of days before boarding their plane in Switzerland and thought they weren’t infected.

This goes to show: A negative test is not an all-clear in terms of being able to safely interact with others without masks