US to End Air Travel COVID-19 Testing Requirement

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

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Travelers on international flights to the United States will no longer have to show a negative COVID test in order to enter the country, CNN reports.

Since January 2021, flyers entering the US from abroad have been required to show a negative COVID test before boarding their flight. This rule is expected to be dropped for US-bound air travelers beginning midnight this Sunday, June 12.

A senior administration official for the Biden administration told CNN that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be lifting this restriction “based on the science and data.”

The CDC will reevaluate this ruling after 90 days and could reinstate it if cases spike or there is a new variant, for example.

Many other countries, including Canada and most European nations, have already dropped testing entry requirements.

The new ruling will certainly make international travel easier and less stressful, as travelers don’t have to worry about getting test results back in time for their flight. However, it will also increase the number of flyers that are traveling while infectious.

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