CEM REPORT | The United States is halting its longest-running travel restrictions of the pandemic.
The government is dropping Covid-19 testing requirements for inbound air travelers from outside its shores.
According to a report by CNBS, the change which takes effect 12:01 a.m. Sunday, will see inbound air travelers no longer need to show proof of a negative Covid test a day before boarding U.S.-bound flights.
Senior Biden administration official while making the announcement further said, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will reassess the decision in 90 days.
“If there is a need to reinstate a pre-departure testing requirement — including due to a new, concerning variant — CDC will not hesitate to act,”
President of the U.S. Travel Association, Roger Dow, in a statement commended the Biden administration adding that international inbound travel is vitally important to businesses and workers across the country who have struggled to regain losses from this valuable sector.
“The Biden administration is to be commended for this action, which will welcome back visitors from around the world and accelerate the recovery of the U.S. travel industry,”
The restriction was put in place by the previous Donald Trump’s administration in early 2021 and later tightened by the Biden administration.
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The restriction by Biden administration required inbound travelers, including U.S. citizens, to show proof of a negative Covid test a day before boarding U.S.-bound flights. However, the restriction did not apply to travelers entering the U.S. by land border.
Airlines and other travel industry members had repeatedly pushed the administration for months to drop the requirement, arguing it was hurting international travel demand. The travel industry
