- The CDC reportedly plans to lift its Covid-19 testing requirement for US-bound air passengers on Sunday.
- A senior administration official told CNN the White House will announce the move on Friday.
- Industry leaders and scientific experts have argued for months that the current policy is out of date.
- For more stories go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
US-bound air travellers will no longer be required to test negative for Covid-19 before boarding their flights, according to a senior White House official, CNN first reported.
The administration is expected to make its official announcement on Friday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will lift its travel restriction at midnight on Sunday, the person told the network.
The move is “based on the science and data,” the official said, per CNN.
Current CDC policy requires travellers to test negative for Covid-19 no more than one day before travel to the US, and that they must show their test results to the airline before boarding. The requirement has no exception for citizenship or vaccination status.
Other pandemic measures have been rolled back in recent months, most notably the US mask mandate, which was struck down by a federal judge in April.
Industry leaders and scientific experts have argued for months that the current policy is out of date, and Nevada Senator Catherine Masto told CNN the decision will give a much-needed lift to the hospitality sector.
Meanwhile, Covid infections are once again on the rise in the US adding further scheduling and capacity complications to a busy summer travel season.
