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U.S. NEWS Saturday 11 June 2022
U.S. lifts COVID-19 test requirement for international travel

By ZEKE MILLER and DAVID to others. It was coupled
KOENIG with a requirement that for-
Associated Press eign, non-immigrant adults
WASHINGTON (AP) — The traveling to the United
Biden administration is lift- States need to be fully vac-
ing its requirement that in- cinated, with only limited
ternational travelers test exceptions.
negative for COVID-19 The initial mandate allowed
within a day before board- those who were fully vac-
ing a flight to the United cinated to show proof of a
States, ending one of the negative test within three
last remaining government days of travel, while un-
mandates designed to vaccinated people had to
contain the spread of the present a test taken within
coronavirus. one day of travel.
A senior administration of- In November, as the highly
ficial said Friday that the transmissible omicron vari-
mandate will expire early ant swept the world, the
Sunday morning. Biden administration tough-
The official, speaking on ened the requirement and
the condition of anonym- required all travelers — re-
ity to preview the formal gardless of vaccination sta-
announcement, said the tus — to test negative with-
Centers for Disease Con- Passengers get a COVID-19 test at Heathrow Airport in London, Nov. 29, 2021. in a day of travel to the U.S.
trol and Prevention de- Associated Press Travelers found creative
termined that the testing ways to avoid the rule.
requirement is no longer for Global Business Travel May, U.S. international air The requirement for a neg- This spring, several Cana-
necessary. The person said Group Inc., which advises travel remained 24% below ative COVID-19 test before dian teams in the National
the CDC will reevaluate companies on travel poli- 2019 levels, with declines flying to the U.S. dates to Hockey League flew to cit-
the issue every 90 days and cy. among both U.S. and for- January 2021 and is the ies near the border, then
could reinstate the require- Airlines argued that the eign citizens, according most visible remaining U.S. took buses into the U.S. to
ment if a troubling new vari- rule was put into effect to trade group Airlines for travel restriction of the pan- avoid the risk of losing play-
ant of COVID-19 emerges. when few Americans were America. demic era. ers who tested positive.
Airline and tourism groups vaccinated — now 71% of Many other countries have In April, a federal judge in Despite ending the testing
have been pressing the those 5 and older are fully lifted their testing require- Florida struck down a re- requirement, the CDC will
administration for months vaccinated, according to ments for fully vaccinated quirement that passengers continue to recommend
to eliminate the testing CDC figures. Airlines also and boosted travelers in a wear masks on planes and COVID-19 testing prior to
requirement, saying it dis- complained that people bid to increase tourism. public transportation, say- air travel of any kind as a
courages people from entering the U.S. at land In February, travel groups ing that the CDC had ex- safety precaution, accord-
booking international trips borders are not required to argued that the testing re- ceeded its authority. The ing to the senior administra-
because they could be test negative for COVID-19, quirement was obsolete Biden administration is ap- tion official.
stranded overseas if they although they must show because of the high num- pealing that ruling, saying U.S. airlines estimate that
contract the virus on their proof of vaccination. ber of omicron cases al- it aims to protect the CDC's dropping the test require-
trip. American Airlines CEO ready in every state, higher ability to respond to future ment will mean 4.3 million
Roger Dow, president of Robert Isom said last week vaccinations rates and new health emergencies. more passengers in one
the U.S. Travel Association, that the requirement on air treatments for the virus. The Biden administration year.
called lifting the testing rule travelers "is something that "I'm glad CDC suspended put the testing require- It is unclear, however,
"another huge step forward is damaging not only U.S. the burdensome corona- ment in place as it moved whether airlines can boost
for the recovery of inbound travel, but it just doesn't virus testing requirement away from restrictions that flights quickly enough to
air travel and the return of make sense." for international travelers, banned nonessential travel handle that kind of in-
international travel to the While domestic U.S. travel and I'll continue to do all I from several dozen coun- crease. Airlines facing a
United States." has returned nearly to pre- can to support the strong tries — most of Europe, shortage of pilots have al-
"The whole industry has pandemic levels, interna- recovery of our hospital- China, Brazil, South Africa, ready scaled back their
been waiting for this an- tional travel — which is very ity industry," Sen. Catherine India and Iran — to focus original schedules for the
nouncement," said Martin lucrative for the airlines Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said instead on classifying indi- peak summer vacation
Ferguson, a spokesman — has continued to lag. In in a statement. viduals by the risk they pose season.q

Biden nixes Trump design for Air Force

One over cost, delay

WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- is currently modifying two white design for a deeper
dent Joe Biden's admin- Boeing 747-800 aircraft that navy and streak of dark red.
istration has scrapped will bear the Air Force One The Trump paint scheme is
former President Donald callsign when the president not being considered be-
Trump's red, white and blue is onboard to replace the cause it could drive ad-
design for the new genera- existing fleet of two aging ditional engineering, time
tion of presidential aircraft Boeing 747-200 aircraft. and cost, according to an A model of the new Air Force One design sits on a table during a
after an Air Force review Trump, in 2018, directed administration official who meeting between President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime
suggested it would raise that the new jumbo jets spoke on the condition of Minister Justin Trudeau in the Oval Office of the White House,
costs and delay the deliv- shed the iconic Kennedy- anonymity in order to dis- June 20, 2019, in Washington.
ery of the new jets. Boeing era robin's egg blue and cuss the program.q Associated Press