Travel Groups Ask Biden to End Covid Testing for Vaccinated US-Bound Passengers - Letter

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A coalition of travel and aviation organizations in a letter urged the Biden administration to terminate the pre-departure testing requirement for US-bound travelers 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 traveling to the United States," the organizations said in a letter to White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients on Wednesday.

The letter includes support from Airlines for America, 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 travelers 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 Biden administration in December tightened travel restrictions for US-bound travelers 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 travelers have a negative COVID-19 test at least three days before a flight to the United States.