After a long contemplation, the Joe Biden Administration has finally dropped the COVID-19 testing requirement for the inbound air travellers. From June 12, 2022, the travellers will no longer have to carry a negative COVID019 test result to enter the United States. The rule was originally placed by the Trump Administration in early 2021 and was later lightened by the Biden administration. As per the rule, the inbound travellers that included the citizens of the United States had to present a negative PCR test a day before boarding the US-bound flights.
However, the travellers who entered the United States at the land border crossings were exempted from the rule. The airlines and the travel industry has been long behind the administration to drop the regulation as the sector is now overwhelmed with more travellers post the pandemic. The travel industry was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic and now more people are returning to the skies with more travel plans than before. The airports and airlines are facing extensive shortage of staff due to the flow of travellers.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention called it a ‘new phase’ of the pandemic and released a statement which confirmed that the widespread and effective COVID-19 vaccines and effective therapeurics that has induced immunity at the population level in the United States. The statement added that the situation has helped to lower the risk of severe disease and death. Although the ruling has also said that the foreign arrivals who are 18 years or older, legal permanent residents or immigrants, or not US nationals will still need to be fully vaccinated.
Children under the age of 17 will not have to be fully vaccinated. The requirements of vaccination does not apply for the citizens of the United States. But the health agency has warned that the requirement could be reinstated if a new concerning variant of the virus emerges.
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