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WASHINGTON, June 10 (BUS) – The Biden administration has lifted its requirement that international air travelers to the United States get tested for COVID-19 within one day before boarding their flights, facilitating one of the last remaining government mandates aimed at containing the spread of the virus. Corona virus.
A senior administration official said Friday that the authorization will expire Sunday at 12:01 a.m. EDT, adding that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined it is no longer necessary, the Associated Press reported.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the official announcement, said the agency will reassess the need for testing requirements every 90 days and that it could be reinstated if a worrying new variant emerges.
The Biden administration set the test requirement last year, moving away from restrictions that banned non-essential travel from several dozen countries — most of Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, India and Iran — and instead focused on classifying individuals by the danger they pose to others. This has been coupled with the requirement that nonimmigrant foreign adults traveling to the United States need to be fully vaccinated, with only limited exceptions.
The initial mandate allowed those who were fully vaccinated to show evidence of a negative test within three days of travel, while those who were not vaccinated were required to submit a test taken within one day of travel.
In November, as the transmissible omicron variant swept the world, the Biden administration tightened requirements and required all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, to be tested within a day of traveling to the United States.
Airlines and tourism groups have been lobbying the administration for months to rescind the test requirement, saying it discourages people from booking international flights because they may be stranded abroad if they contract the virus on their trip.
Roger Dow, president of the American Travel Association, described the lifting of the testing rule as “another major step forward for the restoration of domestic air travel and the return of international travel to the United States.”
While domestic travel to the US has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, international travel – which is very profitable for airlines – has continued to lag. In May, international air travel in the United States remained 24% below 2019 levels, with declines among U.S. citizens and foreigners, according to American Airlines Business Group.
Many other countries have raised their testing requirements for full vaccination and boosted travelers in an effort to increase tourism.
In February, travel groups argued that the test requirement was outdated due to the large number of omicron cases already in each state, high vaccination rates and new treatments for the virus.
“I am pleased that the CDC has suspended onerous coronavirus testing requirements for international travelers, and will continue to do everything in my power to support a strong recovery for our hospitality industry,” Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, said. a permit.
The requirement to test negative for COVID-19 before traveling to the United States dates back to January 2021. It is the most visible remaining US travel restriction of the pandemic era.
In April, a federal judge in Florida overturned a requirement that passengers wear masks on planes and public transportation, saying the CDC had overstepped its authority. The Biden administration is appealing this ruling, saying it is intended to protect the ability of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respond to future health emergencies.
Despite ending testing requirements, the CDC will continue to recommend COVID-19 testing prior to air travel of any kind as a safety precaution, according to the senior management official.
Travelers have found creative ways to avoid the norm. This spring, several Canadian National Hockey League teams flew to cities near the border, then took buses to the United States to avoid the risk of losing players who tested positive for the virus.
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