Covid: US To Drop Test Requirement For Air Travelers

The United States on Friday announced that Covid-19 tests would not be demanded for international travelers getting to the country by air, a key step in the country’s gradual lifting of pandemic restrictions.

White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz confirmed the news on Twitter, with US media saying the testing requirement would end this weekend after strong lobbying from the travel industry.

All passengers had needed to show a negative Covid viral test taken shortly before travel, or proof of having recovered from the virus in the past 90 days before they boarded their flight.

According to Munoz, President Joe Biden’s work on vaccines and treatments had been “critical” to easing the travel restrictions, and added that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would keep on evaluating Covid data amid a recent rise in cases.

Many mask mandates have been lifted but the country has recently seen an uptick in the number of daily virus cases, largely as a result of new Omicron sub-variants.