Friday’s announcement by the Biden administration was that they will no longer require plane travelers to test positive for Covid-19 prior to entering the U.S.
Kevin Munoz, White House assistant press secretary, stated that the U.S. would end the requirement for Covid-19 testing of air travelers entering the country in a tweet that linked to a CNN article that broke the news.
Munoz stated that the president’s work on vaccines and treatments was crucial to their development and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would monitor the progress “based upon the science and within the context of circulating variants.”
According to NBC News, a senior airline source said that predeparture testing rules would be lifted on Sunday at 12:01 a.m.
This move comes less then two weeks after representatives of industry groups Airlines for America, and the U.S. Travel Association met at the White House to ask them to end the requirement that they claimed was outdated.
“Despite the numerous studies proving that the air-conditioning onboard an aircraft is the best available, and the substantial increase in vaccination rates,” Nicholas E. Calio, president of Airlines for America said in a statement following the meeting.
Science has repeatedly shown that pre-departure testing is ineffective and does not stop or slow down the spread of Covid. Calio stated that the only effect the pre-departure requirement has on the U.S. economy is its chilling effect.
