Mandatory COVID-19 Testing Eases Out In The US

COVID-19 Testing

The US will discontinue pre-flight COVID-19 testing requirements for fliers. In 2021, America was obligated to present a test clearance for passengers arriving in the country to verify that they were not traveling while they remained infected. This requirement was revised to submit a test within one calendar year of leaving the US.

Even as the rest of the world opened up, everyone was against the COVID-19 testing requirement that America imposed even as the rest of the world only needed vaccination proof as a ticket to enter.

The CDC has done away with the COVID-19 testing necessities for international travel effective Sunday, June 12, 2022, 12:01 am Eastern Time.

The CDC released a statement announcing that the order that required people to show a negative result or documents proving that the passenger had recovered from the virus had been rescinded. Thus, passengers will no longer need to be tested or show any COVID-19 testing results and documents of recovery before boarding any flight to the US.

COVID-19 Testing No Longer Required As Pandemic Shifts To New Phase

The widespread application of the COVID-19 vaccine, the availability, and potency of more effective therapeutics, plus the immunity developed by a high section of the population have drastically lowered the rate of infection and mortality in the US.

So the earlier requirements are no longer relevant at this stage of the pandemic. The position taken by the CDC is being termed as only a suspension of the COVID-19 testing requirement and not a complete withdrawal at this moment. However, the CDC still mandates non-US passengers to be vaccinated against the virus before they can enter the country.

Recently the US dropped the requirement for weak masks on flights as the US courts reversed the mask directive. The requirements were burdensome and irked tourists and regular travelers alike. Travel industry officials have also urged the Biden administration to end the practice of even vaccinating international travelers undergoing COVID-19 testing before entering the country.