US withdraws COVID testing mandate for international travellers with effect from June 12

The USA lifted the mandate for international travellers to do a COVID-19 testing one day prior to boarding a flight, thus lifting the last of the restrictions to control the Coronavirus. However, the situation will be reviewed every 90 days and if a new variant emerges, the restrictions will come into force again, said an official on the condition of anonymity as quoted by ANI. The Biden administration had banned non-essential travel from many countries - most of Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, India and Iran to concentrate on persons classified as high risk for spreading the virus to others.

The government official said that the restrictions will be over on June 12, at 12.01 EDT adding that the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention didn't find the necessity to continue with the curbs.

Restrictions in the wake of Omicron

As the Omicron variant swept the world around November 2021, the Biden administration imposed restrictions which included the requirement to test a day prior to boarding a flight, irrespective of the vaccination status. 

The government was approached by airlines and tourism groups to take back the requirement for COVID testing as it was holding back the travellers from taking foreign trips because of the possibility of getting stuck overseas in case they get infected with the virus during the trip. 

Roger Dow, president of the US travel association welcomed the move and said that lifting the testing rule is “another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States,” as international travel continues to be lukewarm and domestic travel returns to pre-pandemic levels. International travel is relatively more lucrative for airline companies. According to the trade group Airline for America, in May international air travel remained at 24% of the pre-2019 levels. 

“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,” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said in a statement. The requirement of a negative COVID testing one day prior to the scheduled flight remains the most visible remaining US travel restriction in the pandemic era, introduced in January 2021.

Image: AP