The White House will announce on Friday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will drop its requirement that air passengers entering the US test negative for Covid-19, multiple American news outlets report. While the airline industry has lobbied aggressively for this move, the Biden administration says that tests are no longer needed “based on the science.”
Air passengers entering the US have been required since early 2021 to show a negative coronavirus test to enter the country, with non-citizens required since last October to show proof of vaccination in addition to a test.
The testing requirement will no longer be in effect as of Sunday, although it is unclear whether the vaccine requirement for non-citizens will remain in force. According to a CDC official quoted by CNN, the agency will reassess its decision in 90 days and will reserve the right to reinstate the mandate should a new and threatening variant of the coronavirus emerge.