US Lifts Covid Vaccine Mandate for International Travelers as Emergency Status Comes to a Close

The White House has announced that the US has removed the Covid vaccine mandate for all international passengers, as the country ends its Covid emergency status. While vaccination remains important for advancing the health and safety of employees and promoting efficiency in workplaces, the White House stated that these measures are no longer necessary.

The requirement for coronavirus testing was removed in June 2021, but the vaccination policy for foreign travellers was still in place until now. In February, the House of Representatives voted to end the last remaining pandemic restrictions on May 11.

President Biden stated that the US has the tools to detect and respond to potential virus variants, and that based on the progress made and guidance from public health experts, the international air travel restrictions imposed in October 2021 are no longer necessary.

During the pandemic, the US shut down for all international travellers for 18 months. While restrictions were eased in November 2021, foreign travellers were still required to be vaccinated and take a coronavirus test within three days of travel.

The new rules are part of the Biden administration's decision to end the emergency from May 11, even though deaths and hospitalisations from Covid are at their lowest point since March 2020 in the country. As the US enters a different phase of its response to the pandemic, the decision to remove the vaccine mandate for international travellers is seen as a positive step forward in restoring global travel.

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