US to lift COVID testing requirements for international travel

WASHINGTON

The Biden administration is slated to lift its requirement that international air travelers test negative for COVID-19 within a day of departing for the US, according to multiple reports published on Friday.

The regulation, which has been in place since January 2021, will reportedly be nixed effective midnight Sunday morning after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined it was no longer necessary, the outlets reported, citing anonymous administration officials.

The decision comes after the travel and hospitality industries lobbied for the testing requirement to be rescinded, including a meeting in May between the Airlines for America and U.S. Travel Association, and the White House.

“Science has shown time and time again that the pre-departure testing requirement is not effective and is not stopping or even slowing the spread of COVID. Quite frankly, the only impact the pre-departure testing requirement is having is a chilling effect on an already fragile economy here in the U.S.,” Airlines for America CEO Nicholas Calio said at the time.

“Despite the countless studies affirming that the hospital-grade air onboard aircraft is some of the cleanest available and the significant increase in vaccination rates, the Administration continues to hold air travel to a standard different than land border crossings," he added.

An official who spoke to CNN said that while the requirement is being lifted, the policy will be reviewed every 90 days to determine if it needs to be reinstated.

Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez, one of the voices advocating for the change, lauded the decision, saying in a statement that it will boost the travel industry and protect jobs.

"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," the senator from Nevada, which is home to international gambling epicenter Las Vegas, said.