US To Drop COVID Testing For Incoming International Flyers From Sunday

The Unites States will drop pre-departure Covid-19 international air testing requirements effective Sunday at 12:01 a.m. after heavy lobbying from airlines and the travel industry.

The Biden administration will announce on Friday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will no longer require pre-departure Covid-19 testing for travelers coming to the United States after it determined based on the science and data that this requirement is no longer necessary.

The CDC will do a reassessment of this decision in 90 days, the official said.

The announcement comes as the busy summer travel season is kicking off and carriers were already bracing for record demand. Airlines have said that many Americans are not traveling internationally because of concerns they will test positive and be stranded abroad.

Since December, the CDC has required travelers to test negative within one day before flights to the United States but does not require testing for land border crossings.