Biden admin lifts Covid-19 test requirement for international travel

The Biden administration is lifting its requirement that all travelers test negative for coronavirus before flying to the US, amid pressure from airlines that viewed the measure as excessive and blamed it for depressing ticket purchases. The change will take effect just after midnight on June 12 and be reassessed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 90 days, according to an administration official. 

Under existing policy, international travellers flying to the US are required to present proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within a day of their departure flight to the US.

The health agency may decide to reinstate the requirement if a new, concerning variant of the virus emerges, the official said. The administration will continue to recommend testing prior to air travel, but believes that coronavirus vaccines and new treatments made it possible to ease the requirement. Airline stocks climbed briefly on the news, with an S&P index of carriers rising less than 1 per cent Friday morning before turning negative amid a broader slump in equities. 

Top airline executives have said in recent weeks that flyers were concerned about the risk of booking international travel only to become stranded in foreign countries.