On Friday, the White House announced they will officially lift its negative COVID-19 testing requirement for international travelers entering the US.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “will end COVID-19 testing requirement for air travelers entering the country,” said White House spokesman Kevin Munoz, adding that it “will evaluate its need based on the science and in context of circulating variants.”
According to CNN, a senior administration official said that this change will go into effect at midnight on Sunday.
The initial mandate required fully vaccinated to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test within three days of travel, while unvaccinated people had to show a test taken within one day of travel.
BREAKING: Effective Sunday, those traveling to the U.S. will no longer need a negative COVID-19 test one day before their flight to the country. https://t.co/kkvy7JOKRf pic.twitter.com/tdj6COHGSQ
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) June 10, 2022
More details of this report from CNN:
The CDC is lifting the restriction that the travel industry had lobbied against for months after determining it was no longer necessary “based on the science and data,” the official said. The CDC will reassess its decision in 90 days and if officials decide they need to reinstate it, because of a concerning new variant, for example, will do so. The measure has been in place since January 2021.
The official said the Biden administration plans to work with airlines to ensure a smooth transition with the change, but it will likely be a welcome move for most in the industry.
The travel industry, and some scientific experts, said the policy had been out of date for months.
Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said, “I’m glad CDC suspended the burdensome coronavirus testing requirement for international travelers, and I’ll continue to do all I can to support the strong recovery of our hospitality industry.”
Countries like Iceland and Germany have already dropped their international COVID-19 testing restrictions.
Sources: TheGatewayPundit, CNN