International travellers flying to the US no longer have to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test before entering the country. The change - which came into effect on Sunday - has come thanks to the ‘tremendous progress’ the country has made in tackling the virus.
A spokesperson for the Centre For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the decision was made on the basis of high vaccine uptake and widespread population immunity. They added: "Each of these measures has contributed to lower risk of severe disease and death across the United States.”
Prior to the change, air passengers travelling to the US from a foreign country had to show a negative Covid-19 viral test, or documentation of recovery from COVID-19, before they boarded their flight. The CDC said it will re-evaluate dropping this requirement in 90 days time and would ‘not hesitate to act’ to reinstate it should new variants make it necessary.
