Effective Sunday, June 12, international travelers no longer need to provide negative COVID-19 test results to board a plane and enter into the United States, ending one of the last remaining government mandates designed to contain the spread of COVID-19. “This step is possible because of the progress we’ve made in our fight against COVID-19,” said U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra. However, the CDC will continue to monitor the state of the pandemic and will reassess the need for a testing requirement if the situation changes.

“Another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States” said Roger Dow, the president of the U.S. Travel Association, about the lifting of the mandate. Airline and tourism groups had been pressing for this for several months. Travel industry experts are hopeful that this will boost the economy and help the country’s international travel spend to near pre-pandemic levels.

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