International travellers need not take a Covid-19 test before boarding their flights to enter the U.S. from today (June 12) onwards, as the country ends one of the final mandates meant to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The change in policy was announced by a US Government official.
A senior administration official said the mandate expires on June 12, 9:31 am (IST), saying the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that it’s no longer necessary.
Under the new rules, all international travellers going to the US will no longer need to be tested in the 24 hours before boarding their flight.
“As of 12:01 AM ET (5:01 AM Irish time) on June 12, 2022, passengers traveling to the United States from Ireland are no longer required to show a negative COVID-19 viral test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board their flight,” reads updated advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
However, passengers must still prove they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel.
Airline and tourism groups have been pressing the administration for months, pushing to eliminate the testing requirement, saying it is discouraging people from booking international trips. Many other countries have lifted their testing requirements for fully vaccinated and boosted travelers a bit to increase tourism.