Travel groups ask Joe Biden to end Covid-19 testing for vaccinated US-bound passengers

Washington, February 3: A coalition of travel and aviation organizations in a letter urged the Joe Biden administration to terminate the pre-departure testing requirement for US-bound travellers that are vaccinated against the novel coronavirus disease. "On behalf of the many sectors of the travel and aviation industries, we urgently request that the Administration remove the requirement for pre-departure testing for vaccinated passengers travelling to the United States," the organizations said in a letter to White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients on Wednesday. Also Read | Coronavirus Update: India reports 1,61,386 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours The letter includes support from Airlines for America, the US Travel Association, the US Chamber of Commerce, Airlines for Europe, Global Business Travel Association, among others. The letter underscores that a decision to roll back testing requirements for vaccinated travellers would be justified considering increased immunity, higher vaccination rates, new Covid-19 treatments, and the pervasiveness of novel coronavirus cases in all US states. Travel and aviation industries cannot fully recover unless the US government takes steps to remove travel restrictions that appear to no longer be needed, the letter said. The Joe Biden administration in December tightened travel restrictions for US-bound travellers amid the spread of the Omicron variant, requiring a negative Covid-19 test a day before passengers depart to the United States. The Trump administration previously required US-bound travellers have a negative Covid-19 test at least three days before a flight to the United States. Also Read | Canada lifts India-specific Covid-19 testing rules for travellers -PTC News