Covid: US to drop test requirement for air travellers

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Air travellers will no longer have to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test before entering the US.

The officials said they were dropping the requirement because of the progress the country had made.

The travel industry has been pushing for an end to the policy, which they say has deterred bookings, as families fear getting stranded abroad

On Sunday, the change will come into effect.

In 90 days, the policy will be reexamined by the CDC. Should new versions of the rule make officials think it's necessary, the administration will act.

"We are able to take this step because of the tremendous progress we've made in our fight against the virus: We have made life-saving vaccines and treatments widely available, and these tools are working to prevent serious illness and death, and are effective against the prevalent variant circulating in the

Air travellers in the US are required to test negative within three days of their flight if they have recently recovered from the virus. The policy was tightened by US President Joe Biden within a day of flying in December. It did not apply to land crossings.

The travel industry says the US lags behind other countries when it comes to re-examining policies.

Canada and the UK both removed Covid-19 test requirements in March. Italy stopped requiring testing this month.

The president of the US Travel Association was happy about it.

The group's research shows that eliminating the requirement is likely to bring an additional 5.4 million visitors to the US this year.

Today marks a huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the U.S.

The action taken by the Biden administration will welcome back visitors from around the world and speed up the recovery of the US travel industry.