The White House has announced that the United States will lift the Covid-19 screening test requirement for travelers arriving in the country by plane.
The United States will lift the Covid-19 screening test requirement for travelers arriving in the country by plane, the White House announced on Friday.
Faced with the arrival of the Omicron variant, the health authorities had tightened the test procedures to enter the United States in December 2021. All travelers over the age of 2, boarding a flight from abroad to the United States United States, had to present a negative test less than a day before take-off, regardless of their vaccination status.
According to a spokesperson for the presidency, Kevin Munoz, who announced on Twitter the lifting of this requirement, the health authorities will continue “to assess the needs based on the science and the context of the circulation of the variants”.
The end of the obligation will come into effect on Sunday, according to US media.
On the other hand, the government has not specified, at this stage, whether it maintains the vaccination obligation for non-resident foreigners entering the United States.
Several other countries, notably in Europe, had already stopped requiring a pre-boarding test from international travelers.
Following a court decision, the compulsory wearing of a mask was also lifted in the United States in April in public transport, and in particular on planes.
Strong demand from the economic sector
The United States is currently registering more than 100,000 new cases of Covid-19 per day, a figure that is also largely underestimated according to experts. The recent rise has been linked to Omicron sub-variants.
About 300 people still die of the disease in the country daily, but health authorities are now highlighting the many remedies available, including vaccines but also the antiviral Paxlovid in the event of infection.
The lifting of restrictions was a strong demand from the economic sector, in particular airlines, anxious to speed up the return to normal.
“We believe we have made the necessary progress” to “lift this obligation, and I think that is good news for business travel, good news for American commerce and companies as well”, explained on CNBC’s Brian Deese, President Joe Biden’s top economic adviser.
Airlines 4 America, the federation of American airlines, welcomed in a press release the government decision which “will help to encourage and restore flights in the United States for the benefit of the communities of the country whose economy depends heavily on travel and tourism. “.
“We look forward to welcoming millions of travelers who are ready to come to the United States for vacation, business or simply to reunite with loved ones,” said President Nicholas Calio.