WASHINGTON (AP) – The Biden administration is lifting a requirement for international air travelers in the United States to take a COVID-19 test the day before boarding their flights, relaxing one of the last remaining government mandates to limit its use. .
A senior administration official said the order expires Sunday at 12:01 p.m. EDT, saying that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has decided that it is no longer necessary. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity on Friday to preview the official announcement, said the service would review the need for the test requirement every 90 days and that it could be remedied if a worrying new variation arises.
The Biden government enforced the test requirement last year as it moved away from restrictions banning unnecessary travel from dozens of countries – most notably Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, India and Iran -. and instead focuses on classifying people at risk who pose to others. It came with the requirement that non-immigrant non-immigrant adults traveling to the United States be fully vaccinated, with only a few exceptions.
The original order allowed those who had been fully vaccinated to test negative within three days of the trip, while unvaccinated individuals had to take a test within one day of the trip.
In November, as the highly contagious variant of the micron swept the world, the Biden government stepped up demand and asked all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, to take a test within a day of traveling to the United States.
Airlines and tour operators have been pushing the administration for months to lift the testing requirement, saying it discourages people from booking international travel. Many other countries have slightly lifted the testing requirements for fully vaccinated and encouraged travelers to increase tourism.
In February, teams argued that the testing requirement was outdated due to the high number of micron cases already in each state, higher vaccination rates and new treatments for the virus.
“I am pleased that the CDC has suspended the coronary artery test requirement for international travelers and will continue to do what I can to support the strong recovery of our hospitality industry,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev. a statement.
The waiver comes six weeks after a federal judge ended a CDC mask requirement for public transportation, including trains, planes, buses and transit junctions, saying the service had exceeded its authority. The Biden government is appealing the decision, saying it is intended to protect the CDC’s ability to respond to future health emergencies.
The official said the CDC would continue to recommend COVID-19 testing before each air trip as a safety precaution.
