The Biden administration is facing pressure to end a COVID-19 travel restriction that tourism industry advocates say is hurting the economy and causing headaches for Americans and foreign nationals alike.
said when asked about the issue June 1."The predeparture testing requirement remains in place, as we have it today. And any decision on predeparture testing requirement would be made by our health and medical experts.”
The Biden administration has been quick to add COVID-19 restrictions when it feels they're needed but has been notably slow to remove them. It tookto end the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's eviction moratorium, vaccine mandates for private businesses, and the federal mask mandate for air travel and public transit.
Business travel spending was stuck at 56% of 2019 levels, the group said, and international travel spending was down fully 78%. Those guidelines could include preboarding testing, masking, and arrival testing — but as a recommendation rather than a requirement.