U.S. to End Covid Test Requirement for Incoming Air Travelers
Photo Credit: Shot of a young woman getting her temperature taken with an infrared thermometer by a doctor during an outbreak Getty Images / PeopleImages
Skift Take
Airlines had been clamoring for the government to drop the pre-departure testing requirement for a long time, since they viewed it as a significant impediment to a complete recovery. Travelers aren't too sad about this development either.
The White House is expected to announced on Friday that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will end its requirement for air travelers to test negative for Covid prior to arriving in the U.S., according to an official in the Biden Administration.
The CDC said it was lifting the requirement, which had been in place since January 2021 because "science and data" indicated it was no longer necessary. The move, which will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, also comes after intense lobbying from major U.S. airlines, which had argued the pre-departure testing requirement was preventi
