US removes COVID-19 testing requirements for all travellers

United States has removed all COVID-19 testing requirements for people planning their travel to the country. Earlier, travellers worldwide had to take a COVID-19 testing a day before boarding a flight to the US.

The mandate was removed effective immediately from 12 June 2022 onwards after Centres for Disease Control and Prevention specified that it's no longer required. As per officials speaking under anonymity, the department will analyse if any other variant emerges during the 90 days.

Last year, the Joe Biden administration implemented the testing requirement as part of a shift away from restrictions that barred non-essential travel from several countries, including the majority of Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, India, and Iran, in favour of categorising people based on the risk they pose to others.

It was accompanied by a requirement that non-immigrant foreign adults going to the United States be vaccinated entirely, with just a few exceptions. As per the initial requirements, people who had been fully vaccinated must produce proof of a negative test within three days of travel, whereas those who had not been fully vaccinated had to show proof of a test done within 24 hours of flight.

Due to an increase in cases in the United States as a result of the Omicron variant, the standards were tightened, requiring travellers to test within 24 hours of landing in the country, regardless of their vaccination status.