International travel just got a whole lot easier. The Biden administration announced Friday that the United States will no longer require a pre-departure COVID-19 test to enter the country. The travel industry had repeatedly urged the administration to drop the testing requirement.
TravelAnne Staff Writers
The Biden administration dropped the Covid-19 testing requirement for inbound air travelers from abroad on Sunday, ending one of the longest-running travel restrictions of the pandemic.
The rule, put in place by the Trump administration in early 2021 and later tightened by the Biden administration, most recently required inbound travelers, including U.S. citizens, to show proof of a negative Covid test a day before boarding U.S.-bound flights. Travelers entering the U.S. at land border crossings were exempt.
The change took effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Sunday.
Airlines and others in the travel industry had repeatedly pushed the administration to drop the requirement, arguing it was hurting demand for international trips. The travel industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic.
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