🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 61 (from laksa043)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa061.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.kgns.tv/2022/06/10/us-lifts-covid-19-test-requirement-international-travel/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.kgns.tv/2022/06/10/us-lifts-covid-19-test-requirement-international-travel/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2022\/06\/10\/us-lifts-covid-19-test-requirement-international-travel\/","crawl_time":1776417540,"first_indexed_time":1654869635,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"tv,kgns!www,\/2022\/06\/10\/us-lifts-covid-19-test-requirement-international-travel\/ s443","src_root_hash":"8285385594362739861","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"US lifts COVID-19 test requirement for international travel","meta_descriptions":["A senior administration official said the mandate expires Sunday at 12:01 a.m. ET, saying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that it’s no longer necessary."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is lifting its requirement that international travelers test negative for COVID-19 within a day before boarding a flight to the United States, ending one of the last remaining government mandates designed to contain the spread of the coronavirus.\nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that the requirement will end early Sunday morning. The health agency said it will continue to monitor state of the pandemic and will reassess the need for a testing requirement if the situation changes.\n“This step is possible because of the progress we’ve made in our fight against COVID-19,” said U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra.\nAirline and tourism groups have been pressing the administration for months to eliminate the testing requirement, saying it discourages people from booking international trips because they could be stranded overseas if they contract the virus on their trip.\nRoger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, called lifting the testing rule “another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States.”\nAirlines argued that the rule was put into effect when few Americans were vaccinated — now 71% of those 5 and older are fully vaccinated, according to CDC figures. They also complained that people entering the U.S. at land borders are not required to test negative for COVID-19, although they must show proof of vaccination.\nWhile domestic U.S. travel has returned nearly to pre-pandemic levels, international travel — which is very lucrative for the airlines — has continued to lag. In May, U.S. international air travel remained 24% below 2019 levels, with declines among both U.S. and foreign citizens, according to trade group Airlines for America.\nMany other countries have lifted their testing requirements for fully vaccinated and boosted travelers in a bid to increase tourism.\nSome infectious-disease experts said they were comfortable with the CDC’s decision, and that lifting the restriction is unlikely to cause further spread of the virus in the U.S.\nDr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University said the rule was designed to prevent importing the virus, “but we’ve got plenty of COVID here. It’s like telling someone not to pour a bucket of water in their swimming pool.”\nDr. Peter Chin-Hong at the University of California, San Francisco, said travel restrictions demonstrate that officials are trying to keep variants out, “but they haven’t really shown to be beneficial, ever.” However, he said, requiring foreign visitors to be vaccinated makes sense to avoid straining the U.S. health-care system with people who could develop severe disease.\nThe requirement for a negative COVID-19 test before flying to the U.S. dates to January 2021 and is the most visible remaining U.S. travel restriction of the pandemic era.\nIn April, a federal judge in Florida \nstruck down a requirement that passengers wear masks\n on planes and public transportation, saying that the CDC had exceeded its authority. The Biden administration is appealing that ruling, saying it aims to protect the CDC’s ability to respond to future health emergencies.\nThe Biden administration \nput the testing requirement in place\n as it moved away from rules that banned nonessential travel from dozens of countries — most of Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, India and Iran — and focused instead on classifying individuals by the risk they pose to others. It was coupled with a requirement that foreign, non-immigrant adults traveling to the United States need to be fully vaccinated, with only limited exceptions.\nThe initial mandate allowed those who were fully vaccinated to show proof of a negative test within three days of travel, while unvaccinated people had to present a test taken within one day of travel.\nIn November, as the \nhighly transmissible omicron variant\n swept the world, the Biden administration \ntoughened the requirement\n and required all travelers — regardless of vaccination status — to test negative within a day of travel to the U.S.\nIn February, \ntravel groups argued that the testing requirement was obsolete\n because of the high number of omicron cases already in every state, higher vaccinations rates and new treatments for the virus.\nMeanwhile, travelers found creative ways around the rule. This spring, several Canadian teams in the National Hockey League flew to cities near the border, then \ntook buses into the U.S.\n to avoid the risk of losing players who tested positive.\nU.S. airlines estimate that dropping the test requirement will mean 4.3 million more passengers in one year.\nIt is unclear, however, whether airlines can boost flights quickly enough to handle that kind of increase. Airlines facing a shortage of pilots have already scaled back their original schedules for the peak summer vacation season.\nBrett Snyder, a travel adviser who writes about the industry at\nCrankyFlier.com\n, said the requirement has caused some people to postpone international travel.\n“It’s not that they are afraid of getting sick, they don’t want to get stuck,” Snyder said. He thinks there will now be a surge in booking those trips, “which, if anything, will lead to higher fares.”\nHotels, theme parks and other travel businesses also lobbied the administration to drop the rule.\n“The whole industry has been waiting for this announcement,” said Martin Ferguson, a spokesman for American Express Global Business Travel, which advises companies on travel policy. He said there are few remaining pandemic policies that cause so much consternation for the travel sector, with \nChina’s “zero-COVID” restrictions\n being another.\nDespite ending the testing requirement, the CDC said it still recommends COVID-19 testing prior to air travel of any kind as a safety precaution.\n___\n___\nKoenig reported from Dallas. AP Medical Reporter Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report.\nCopyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2022\/06\/10\/us-lifts-covid-19-test-requirement-international-travel\/#main)\n\n[Digital Marketing](https:\/\/kgns.graydigitalmedia.com\/)\n\n[8th Grader of the Month](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/8th-grader-of-the-month\/)\n\n[Teacher of the Month](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/teacher-of-the-month)\n\n[KGNS Honors](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/page\/honors)\n\n[Hola\\!](https:\/\/www.holalaredo.com\/)\n\n[Experts](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/page\/experts)\n\n[Champions of Justice](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/sponsored\/champions-of-justice)\n\n- [Watch LIVE](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/livestream\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/news)\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/weather)\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/sports)\n- [KGNS+ Originals](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/digital)\n- [Election Guide](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/politics\/election-guide)\n- [We the People](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/we-the-people)\n\n- [Homepage](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/homepage)\n- [WBCA Events](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/events\/wbca)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/news)\n  - [Local](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/news\/local)\n  - [State](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/news\/state)\n  - [National](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/news\/national)\n  - [Election Guide](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/politics\/election-guide)\n  - [Border Front](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/news\/border-front)\n  - [Did You Know?](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/news\/did-you-know)\n  - [We the People](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/we-the-people)\n- [Submit a News Tip](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/page\/submit-a-news-tip)\n- [Submit Photos](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/user-content)\n- [Watch Live](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/livestream\/)\n- [Telemundo Laredo Livestream](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/livestream3\/)\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/weather)\n  - [Local Radar](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/weather\/radar)\n  - [Closings](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/weather\/closings)\n  - [Upload Weather Pics Here](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/page\/submit-weather-photos\/)\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/sports)\n  - [Olympics Medal Count](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/page\/olympic-medal-count)\n  - [Tecos](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/sports\/tecos)\n  - [Laredo Heat](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/sports\/laredo-heat)\n  - [Scoreboard](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/sports\/scoreboard)\n  - [2 Minute Drill](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/video-gallery\/sports\/two-minute-drill)\n  - [High School Sports](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/sports\/high-school)\n  - [Friday Football Fever](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/sports\/friday-football-fever\/)\n- [Community](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community)\n  - [WBCA](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/events\/wbca)\n  - [Valentine's Day](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/valentines-day)\n  - [Spring Guide](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/news\/spring)\n  - [Halloween](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/halloween)\n  - [Thanksgiving](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/thanksgiving)\n  - [Christmas](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/christmas)\n- [KGNS On Your Side](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/news\/on-your-side)\n- [KGNS+ Originals](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/digital)\n  - [Digital Newsdesk Interviews](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/digital\/digital-newsdesk-interviews)\n  - [Beyond the Headlines](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/digital\/beyond-the-headlines)\n  - [Morning Brew](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/digital\/morning-brew)\n  - [In The Kitchen](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/digital\/in-the-kitchen)\n  - [Pop. Off The Clock](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/digital\/pop-off-the-clock)\n  - [Mind Your Business](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/digital\/mind-your-business)\n  - [HOLA\\!](https:\/\/www.holalaredo.com\/)\n- [KGNS Cares](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/kgns-cares)\n  - [8th Grader of the Month](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/8th-grader-of-the-month)\n  - [Teacher of the Month](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/community\/teacher-of-the-month)\n  - [Pet of the Week](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/pets\/pet-of-the-week)\n- [KGNS News Today](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/news\/today)\n  - [Do It Yourself with KGNS News Today](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/digital\/diy)\n  - [Foodie Friday](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/digital\/foodie-friday)\n- [KGNS E-News](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/newsletter\/)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/about-us\/contact-us)\n  - [Meet the Team](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/about-us\/meet-the-team)\n  - [About KGNS](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/page\/about-kgns)\n  - [Jobs at KGNS](https:\/\/gray.tv\/careers#currentopenings)\n  - [Station Tours](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/page\/kgns-tv-tours)\n- [Contests](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/contests)\n- [Hola\\!](https:\/\/www.holalaredo.com\/)\n- [Lottery](https:\/\/www.txlottery.org\/export\/sites\/lottery\/download_the_app.html)\n- [Programming Schedule](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/programming\/schedule)\n- [NextGen TV](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/page\/nextgen)\n- [Local News Live](https:\/\/www.localnewslive.com\/news\/national\/)\n- [InvestigateTV](https:\/\/www.investigatetv.com\/)\n- [Watching Your Wallet](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/watching-your-wallet)\n- [PowerNation](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/powernation\/)\n- [Circle Country](https:\/\/www.circlecountry.com\/)\n- [ABC](https:\/\/abc.com\/)\n- [NBC](https:\/\/www.nbc.com\/)\n- [CBS](https:\/\/www.cbs.com\/)\n- [The CW](http:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/)\n- [Gray AI Policy](https:\/\/graymedia.com\/assets\/pdf\/Gray_AI_Policy.pdf)\n- [Digital Marketing](https:\/\/gdmsouthtexas.com\/)\n\n# US lifts COVID-19 test requirement for international travel\n![FILE - Travelers queue up move through the north security checkpoint in the main terminal of...](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/OD6R34DMG5F7LN2ELQNCB6VZ34.jpg?auth=5f71b74cc44f1ac519b4b1b655da013a0f8ee83d35c68344e340ba96c60e3b5f&width=800&height=450&smart=true)\n\nFILE - Travelers queue up move through the north security checkpoint in the main terminal of Denver International Airport, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Denver. Airline travelers are not only facing sticker shock this Memorial Day weekend, the kick off to the summer travel season, but they're also battling a pileup of flight cancellations. More than 1,000 flights were canceled as of Saturday afternoon, May 28, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, after 2,300 cancellations on Friday.(AP Photo\/David Zalubowski, File)\n\nBy [The Associated Press](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/authors\/associated-press\/)\n\nPublished: Jun. 10, 2022 at 8:51 AM CDT\\|Updated: Jun. 10, 2022 at 7:59 PM CDT\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is lifting its requirement that international travelers test negative for COVID-19 within a day before boarding a flight to the United States, ending one of the last remaining government mandates designed to contain the spread of the coronavirus.\n\nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that the requirement will end early Sunday morning. The health agency said it will continue to monitor state of the pandemic and will reassess the need for a testing requirement if the situation changes.\n\n“This step is possible because of the progress we’ve made in our fight against COVID-19,” said U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra.\n\nAirline and tourism groups have been pressing the administration for months to eliminate the testing requirement, saying it discourages people from booking international trips because they could be stranded overseas if they contract the virus on their trip.\n\nRoger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, called lifting the testing rule “another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States.”\n\nAirlines argued that the rule was put into effect when few Americans were vaccinated — now 71% of those 5 and older are fully vaccinated, according to CDC figures. They also complained that people entering the U.S. at land borders are not required to test negative for COVID-19, although they must show proof of vaccination.\n\nWhile domestic U.S. travel has returned nearly to pre-pandemic levels, international travel — which is very lucrative for the airlines — has continued to lag. In May, U.S. international air travel remained 24% below 2019 levels, with declines among both U.S. and foreign citizens, according to trade group Airlines for America.\n\nMany other countries have lifted their testing requirements for fully vaccinated and boosted travelers in a bid to increase tourism.\n\nSome infectious-disease experts said they were comfortable with the CDC’s decision, and that lifting the restriction is unlikely to cause further spread of the virus in the U.S.\n\nDr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University said the rule was designed to prevent importing the virus, “but we’ve got plenty of COVID here. It’s like telling someone not to pour a bucket of water in their swimming pool.”\n\nDr. Peter Chin-Hong at the University of California, San Francisco, said travel restrictions demonstrate that officials are trying to keep variants out, “but they haven’t really shown to be beneficial, ever.” However, he said, requiring foreign visitors to be vaccinated makes sense to avoid straining the U.S. health-care system with people who could develop severe disease.\n\nThe requirement for a negative COVID-19 test before flying to the U.S. dates to January 2021 and is the most visible remaining U.S. travel restriction of the pandemic era.\n\nIn April, a federal judge in Florida [struck down a requirement that passengers wear masks](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/biden-health-business-travel-tampa-3408cc825582126fbda5fbedd3a49dd3) on planes and public transportation, saying that the CDC had exceeded its authority. The Biden administration is appealing that ruling, saying it aims to protect the CDC’s ability to respond to future health emergencies.\n\nThe Biden administration [put the testing requirement in place](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-business-air-travel-travel-e327b9d85a6dc81f07e226b937fe7097) as it moved away from rules that banned nonessential travel from dozens of countries — most of Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, India and Iran — and focused instead on classifying individuals by the risk they pose to others. It was coupled with a requirement that foreign, non-immigrant adults traveling to the United States need to be fully vaccinated, with only limited exceptions.\n\nThe initial mandate allowed those who were fully vaccinated to show proof of a negative test within three days of travel, while unvaccinated people had to present a test taken within one day of travel.\n\nIn November, as the [highly transmissible omicron variant](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-new-variant-omicron-explainer-116ef818ac4a8e7bc23bb28d6511ecad) swept the world, the Biden administration [toughened the requirement](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-travel-lifestyle-health-a5fabb683083f8cf733761f89caf4899) and required all travelers — regardless of vaccination status — to test negative within a day of travel to the U.S.\n\nIn February, [travel groups argued that the testing requirement was obsolete](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-travel-business-travel-10f20ef571fdfb2ca23ac07719869987) because of the high number of omicron cases already in every state, higher vaccinations rates and new treatments for the virus.\n\nMeanwhile, travelers found creative ways around the rule. This spring, several Canadian teams in the National Hockey League flew to cities near the border, then [took buses into the U.S.](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/covid-nhl-health-sports-hockey-8ed16a5f786bd99634f04f591a35b015) to avoid the risk of losing players who tested positive.\n\nU.S. airlines estimate that dropping the test requirement will mean 4.3 million more passengers in one year.\n\nIt is unclear, however, whether airlines can boost flights quickly enough to handle that kind of increase. Airlines facing a shortage of pilots have already scaled back their original schedules for the peak summer vacation season.\n\nBrett Snyder, a travel adviser who writes about the industry at [CrankyFlier.com](http:\/\/crankyflier.com\/), said the requirement has caused some people to postpone international travel.\n\n“It’s not that they are afraid of getting sick, they don’t want to get stuck,” Snyder said. He thinks there will now be a surge in booking those trips, “which, if anything, will lead to higher fares.”\n\nHotels, theme parks and other travel businesses also lobbied the administration to drop the rule.\n\n“The whole industry has been waiting for this announcement,” said Martin Ferguson, a spokesman for American Express Global Business Travel, which advises companies on travel policy. He said there are few remaining pandemic policies that cause so much consternation for the travel sector, with [China’s “zero-COVID” restrictions](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/covid-health-travel-holidays-restaurants-6086bd35b9532ba57c3858da7f0bae0b) being another.\n\nDespite ending the testing requirement, the CDC said it still recommends COVID-19 testing prior to air travel of any kind as a safety precaution.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\n\n\\_\\_\\_\n\nKoenig reported from Dallas. AP Medical Reporter Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report.\n\n*Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.*\n\n#### Most Read\n[![](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/O5SV33KJEZBHVFQOVSNRRUJAFM.jpeg?auth=75738a65907daeafa8e5b5eedc0b01974eee2b2bcf7ba3b37e23e6efe057e89c&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/15\/shooting-reported-laredo-business-injuries-confirmed\/)\n\n###### [Shooting reported at Laredo business, injuries confirmed](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/15\/shooting-reported-laredo-business-injuries-confirmed\/)\n\n[![KGNS+ mourns loss of former reporter Max Fernandez](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/FERYOTALPNGVHIOS4KLYJSYVM4.jpg?auth=2f52b9709492cdb436c21b01aa0d05fbdb30e1022474e68ac9c590954ce1c90f&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/16\/kgns-mourns-loss-former-reporter-max-fernandez\/)\n\n###### [KGNS+ mourns the loss of former reporter Max Fernandez](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/16\/kgns-mourns-loss-former-reporter-max-fernandez\/)\n\n[![LISD, UISD schools placed under security protocols](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/4SMPTZVLIBDMNHU3S6TTOTNDPE.jpg?auth=4a9dfdaefdab4c27b8642421a094128770ae475c6ee3ead59408e20c59571af6&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/16\/lisd-uisd-schools-placed-under-security-protocols\/)\n\n###### [LISD, UISD schools placed under security protocols](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/16\/lisd-uisd-schools-placed-under-security-protocols\/)\n\n[![Varios heridos tras tiroteo en plaza comercial al norte de Laredo](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/JLDIT3BBOFF5RNFGNPXYYOLECY.jpg?auth=388e81eacfbac91b6348e20185e1a4ad5bfd58da34c9972281de70bc4670b3c7&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/16\/multiple-people-injured-shooting-north-laredo-business\/)\n\n###### [Multiple people injured in shooting at north Laredo business](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/16\/multiple-people-injured-shooting-north-laredo-business\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/W4MBC6G6CVFAHKVEARW3JCFJRI.jpg?auth=3993c9a455eab619dba19136921d07b3ee1b376efae2d520d1bc4bcba3d78757&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/14\/treasury-sanctions-cartel-linked-casinos-operatives-near-laredo\/)\n\n###### [Treasury sanctions cartel-linked casinos on U.S.-Mexico border, operatives near Laredo](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/14\/treasury-sanctions-cartel-linked-casinos-operatives-near-laredo\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/5DMVXNMLENC7JM2SL6S37QLES4.jpg?auth=36bbf1c5e24ef85f62335ea2458194b9af06a0253cd285513c57cea1f272cc90&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/13\/lpd-arrests-2-massage-establishment-investigations\/)\n\n###### [LPD arrests 2 in massage establishment investigations](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/13\/lpd-arrests-2-massage-establishment-investigations\/)\n\n[![Students plead with UISD board as district continues to discuss future of schools](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/MN2VE6DOVJAGZLL6BWHPJL4MN4.png?auth=f15833c36c03ce7d94cdbc3cbe50b6d0e5fd35f122b4e75964176e1e44fd0afe&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/10\/united-isd-considers-school-closures-budget-cuts-address-financial-challenges\/)\n\n###### [United ISD considers school closures, budget cuts to address financial challenges](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/10\/united-isd-considers-school-closures-budget-cuts-address-financial-challenges\/)\n\n[![Laredo Border Patrol agent arrested for indecent assault](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/6R6NW7BFQFBQNPIP3R3EZXIKHU.png?auth=fa0266b6a84b0dbb04374f57678f05928dc5724ca598ddd0086d046afa320d64&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/12\/laredo-border-patrol-agent-arrested-indecent-assault\/)\n\n###### [Laredo Border Patrol agent arrested for indecent assault](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/12\/laredo-border-patrol-agent-arrested-indecent-assault\/)\n\n#### Latest News\n[![The action came in a post-midnight session Friday after Republicans revolted and refused...](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/CLOS3KPEBNGMZHLX3K52PH53XI.jpg?auth=f1c79f43705c0e74757822fe66166b090ff32f8ab73688a52c0b0c60b937f79e&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/17\/house-extends-surveillance-powers-after-late-night-revolt-sinks-gop-plan\/)\n\n###### [House extends surveillance powers after late-night revolt sinks GOP plan](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/17\/house-extends-surveillance-powers-after-late-night-revolt-sinks-gop-plan\/)\n\n[![The action came in a post-midnight session Friday after Republicans revolted and refused...](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/https%3A%2F%2Fdo0bihdskp9dy.cloudfront.net%2F04-17-2026%2Ft_4ef42dc51f544f4aa6cad673659d14c8_name_file_1280x720_2000_v3_1_.jpg?auth=cc7c54b4bfd07023badb25e4151975d277dfc2c627d8a3dfe1815feec0e5602c&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/video\/2026\/04\/17\/house-speaker-johnson-discusses-surveillance-powers-vote\/)\n\n###### [House Speaker Johnson discusses surveillance powers vote](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/video\/2026\/04\/17\/house-speaker-johnson-discusses-surveillance-powers-vote\/)\n\n[![A woman in Arkansas said a SWAT team destroyed her home when officers were looking for a suspect.](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/4ATUZWZ4DVDFZLZED2CRTGX5MQ.png?auth=8dfd7b29a10833254ebe022efa55877d1a6878a63ccdfba54a6f777e7db45500&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/17\/woman-says-swat-team-damaged-home-during-search-shooting-suspect\/)\n\n###### [Woman says SWAT team damaged home during search for shooting suspect](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/17\/woman-says-swat-team-damaged-home-during-search-shooting-suspect\/)\n\n[![An Arizona high school senior is awarded \\$2.7 million in scholarships and is the first in his...](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/LYVE5CRXAZCTJEEF2FEIFB3M4I.jpg?auth=71314c7e01b5790f0f3aadffa724729b1e9900a747fa4e00bff55a955e6ba5b3&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/17\/high-school-senior-lands-27-million-scholarships-becomes-first-family-attend-college\/)\n\n###### [High school senior lands \\$2.7 million in scholarships, becomes first in family to attend college](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/17\/high-school-senior-lands-27-million-scholarships-becomes-first-family-attend-college\/)\n\n[![An Arizona high school senior is awarded \\$2.7 million in scholarships and is the first in his...](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/https%3A%2F%2Fdo0bihdskp9dy.cloudfront.net%2F04-17-2026%2Ft_2c7cfa46ace54bdfad8e72281a0c8648_name_file_1280x720_2000_v3_1_.jpg?auth=d9feecacf596ef2a0b43677d304c700b6c8628bdfaf36ab1651f0e98e354f68d&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/video\/2026\/04\/17\/student-earns-millions-scholarship-offers\/)\n\n###### [Student earns millions in scholarship offers](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/video\/2026\/04\/17\/student-earns-millions-scholarship-offers\/)\n\n[![A woman in Arkansas said a SWAT team destroyed her home when officers were looking for a suspect.](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/https%3A%2F%2Fdo0bihdskp9dy.cloudfront.net%2F04-17-2026%2Ft_f4b5a8d0876345e2b19324a3c342beb2_name_file_1280x720_2000_v3_1_.jpg?auth=fcf5c8132bcbbb42413c46b11d8a9d9567d645829b76e2679f67862b1811dcd2&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/video\/2026\/04\/17\/womans-home-damaged-during-suspect-search\/)\n\n###### [Woman's home damaged during suspect search](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/video\/2026\/04\/17\/womans-home-damaged-during-suspect-search\/)\n\n[![Police officers went to her Ohio home to check, but what they found was probably not what they...](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/FYA5C3OKEZB3TDTLBHCXYNFH2Y.jpg?auth=17277900a83227fce2748ce84639e6a05d4704dbab99bc58a23be96d72a00fa6&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/17\/91-year-old-woman-playing-video-games-prompts-police-welfare-check-after-missing-familys-calls\/)\n\n###### [91-year-old woman playing video games prompts police welfare check after missing family’s calls](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/2026\/04\/17\/91-year-old-woman-playing-video-games-prompts-police-welfare-check-after-missing-familys-calls\/)\n\n[![Police officers went to her Ohio home to check, but what they found was probably not what they...](https:\/\/gray-kgns-prod.gtv-cdn.com\/resizer\/v2\/https%3A%2F%2Fdo0bihdskp9dy.cloudfront.net%2F04-17-2026%2Ft_21f6df43fb29459cb5f68cdaa308fb16_name_file_1280x720_2000_v3_1_.jpg?auth=5676bdeac4ecd5fc2a68fb67f727c3d1764e7deeab976e945af5853422043a65&width=800&height=450&smart=true)](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/video\/2026\/04\/17\/older-gamer-gets-welfare-check\/)\n\n###### [Older gamer gets welfare check](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/video\/2026\/04\/17\/older-gamer-gets-welfare-check\/)\n\n[News](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/news)\n\n[Weather](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/weather)\n\n[Sports](https:\/\/www.kgns.tv\/sports)\n\n- KGNS\n- 222 Bob Bullock Loop\n- Laredo, TX 78043\n- (956) 727-8888\n\n[Public Inspection 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administration is lifting its requirement that international travelers test negative for COVID-19 within a day before boarding a flight to the United States, ending one of the last remaining government mandates designed to contain the spread of the coronavirus.\n\nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that the requirement will end early Sunday morning. The health agency said it will continue to monitor state of the pandemic and will reassess the need for a testing requirement if the situation changes.\n\n“This step is possible because of the progress we’ve made in our fight against COVID-19,” said U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra.\n\nAirline and tourism groups have been pressing the administration for months to eliminate the testing requirement, saying it discourages people from booking international trips because they could be stranded overseas if they contract the virus on their trip.\n\nRoger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, called lifting the testing rule “another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States.”\n\nAirlines argued that the rule was put into effect when few Americans were vaccinated — now 71% of those 5 and older are fully vaccinated, according to CDC figures. They also complained that people entering the U.S. at land borders are not required to test negative for COVID-19, although they must show proof of vaccination.\n\nWhile domestic U.S. travel has returned nearly to pre-pandemic levels, international travel — which is very lucrative for the airlines — has continued to lag. In May, U.S. international air travel remained 24% below 2019 levels, with declines among both U.S. and foreign citizens, according to trade group Airlines for America.\n\nMany other countries have lifted their testing requirements for fully vaccinated and boosted travelers in a bid to increase tourism.\n\nSome infectious-disease experts said they were comfortable with the CDC’s decision, and that lifting the restriction is unlikely to cause further spread of the virus in the U.S.\n\nDr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University said the rule was designed to prevent importing the virus, “but we’ve got plenty of COVID here. It’s like telling someone not to pour a bucket of water in their swimming pool.”\n\nDr. Peter Chin-Hong at the University of California, San Francisco, said travel restrictions demonstrate that officials are trying to keep variants out, “but they haven’t really shown to be beneficial, ever.” However, he said, requiring foreign visitors to be vaccinated makes sense to avoid straining the U.S. health-care system with people who could develop severe disease.\n\nThe requirement for a negative COVID-19 test before flying to the U.S. dates to January 2021 and is the most visible remaining U.S. travel restriction of the pandemic era.\n\nIn April, a federal judge in Florida [struck down a requirement that passengers wear masks](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/biden-health-business-travel-tampa-3408cc825582126fbda5fbedd3a49dd3) on planes and public transportation, saying that the CDC had exceeded its authority. The Biden administration is appealing that ruling, saying it aims to protect the CDC’s ability to respond to future health emergencies.\n\nThe Biden administration [put the testing requirement in place](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-business-air-travel-travel-e327b9d85a6dc81f07e226b937fe7097) as it moved away from rules that banned nonessential travel from dozens of countries — most of Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, India and Iran — and focused instead on classifying individuals by the risk they pose to others. It was coupled with a requirement that foreign, non-immigrant adults traveling to the United States need to be fully vaccinated, with only limited exceptions.\n\nThe initial mandate allowed those who were fully vaccinated to show proof of a negative test within three days of travel, while unvaccinated people had to present a test taken within one day of travel.\n\nIn November, as the [highly transmissible omicron variant](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-new-variant-omicron-explainer-116ef818ac4a8e7bc23bb28d6511ecad) swept the world, the Biden administration [toughened the requirement](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-travel-lifestyle-health-a5fabb683083f8cf733761f89caf4899) and required all travelers — regardless of vaccination status — to test negative within a day of travel to the U.S.\n\nIn February, [travel groups argued that the testing requirement was obsolete](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-travel-business-travel-10f20ef571fdfb2ca23ac07719869987) because of the high number of omicron cases already in every state, higher vaccinations rates and new treatments for the virus.\n\nMeanwhile, travelers found creative ways around the rule. This spring, several Canadian teams in the National Hockey League flew to cities near the border, then [took buses into the U.S.](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/covid-nhl-health-sports-hockey-8ed16a5f786bd99634f04f591a35b015) to avoid the risk of losing players who tested positive.\n\nU.S. airlines estimate that dropping the test requirement will mean 4.3 million more passengers in one year.\n\nIt is unclear, however, whether airlines can boost flights quickly enough to handle that kind of increase. Airlines facing a shortage of pilots have already scaled back their original schedules for the peak summer vacation season.\n\nBrett Snyder, a travel adviser who writes about the industry at [CrankyFlier.com](http:\/\/crankyflier.com\/), said the requirement has caused some people to postpone international travel.\n\n“It’s not that they are afraid of getting sick, they don’t want to get stuck,” Snyder said. He thinks there will now be a surge in booking those trips, “which, if anything, will lead to higher fares.”\n\nHotels, theme parks and other travel businesses also lobbied the administration to drop the rule.\n\n“The whole industry has been waiting for this announcement,” said Martin Ferguson, a spokesman for American Express Global Business Travel, which advises companies on travel policy. He said there are few remaining pandemic policies that cause so much consternation for the travel sector, with [China’s “zero-COVID” restrictions](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/covid-health-travel-holidays-restaurants-6086bd35b9532ba57c3858da7f0bae0b) being another.\n\nDespite ending the testing requirement, the CDC said it still recommends COVID-19 testing prior to air travel of any kind as a safety precaution.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\n\n\\_\\_\\_\n\nKoenig reported from Dallas. AP Medical Reporter Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report.\n\n*Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.*","meta_canonical":null}

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URL	https://www.kgns.tv/2022/06/10/us-lifts-covid-19-test-requirement-international-travel/
Last Crawled	2026-04-17 09:19:00 (6 hours ago)
First Indexed	2022-06-10 14:00:35 (3 years ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	US lifts COVID-19 test requirement for international travel
Meta Description	A senior administration official said the mandate expires Sunday at 12:01 a.m. ET, saying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that it’s no longer necessary.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is lifting its requirement that international travelers test negative for COVID-19 within a day before boarding a flight to the United States, ending one of the last remaining government mandates designed to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that the requirement will end early Sunday morning. The health agency said it will continue to monitor state of the pandemic and will reassess the need for a testing requirement if the situation changes. “This step is possible because of the progress we’ve made in our fight against COVID-19,” said U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra. Airline and tourism groups have been pressing the administration for months to eliminate the testing requirement, saying it discourages people from booking international trips because they could be stranded overseas if they contract the virus on their trip. Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, called lifting the testing rule “another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States.” Airlines argued that the rule was put into effect when few Americans were vaccinated — now 71% of those 5 and older are fully vaccinated, according to CDC figures. They also complained that people entering the U.S. at land borders are not required to test negative for COVID-19, although they must show proof of vaccination. While domestic U.S. travel has returned nearly to pre-pandemic levels, international travel — which is very lucrative for the airlines — has continued to lag. In May, U.S. international air travel remained 24% below 2019 levels, with declines among both U.S. and foreign citizens, according to trade group Airlines for America. Many other countries have lifted their testing requirements for fully vaccinated and boosted travelers in a bid to increase tourism. Some infectious-disease experts said they were comfortable with the CDC’s decision, and that lifting the restriction is unlikely to cause further spread of the virus in the U.S. Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University said the rule was designed to prevent importing the virus, “but we’ve got plenty of COVID here. It’s like telling someone not to pour a bucket of water in their swimming pool.” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong at the University of California, San Francisco, said travel restrictions demonstrate that officials are trying to keep variants out, “but they haven’t really shown to be beneficial, ever.” However, he said, requiring foreign visitors to be vaccinated makes sense to avoid straining the U.S. health-care system with people who could develop severe disease. The requirement for a negative COVID-19 test before flying to the U.S. dates to January 2021 and is the most visible remaining U.S. travel restriction of the pandemic era. In April, a federal judge in Florida struck down a requirement that passengers wear masks on planes and public transportation, saying that the CDC had exceeded its authority. The Biden administration is appealing that ruling, saying it aims to protect the CDC’s ability to respond to future health emergencies. The Biden administration put the testing requirement in place as it moved away from rules that banned nonessential travel from dozens of countries — most of Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, India and Iran — and focused instead on classifying individuals by the risk they pose to others. It was coupled with a requirement that foreign, non-immigrant adults traveling to the United States need to be fully vaccinated, with only limited exceptions. The initial mandate allowed those who were fully vaccinated to show proof of a negative test within three days of travel, while unvaccinated people had to present a test taken within one day of travel. In November, as the highly transmissible omicron variant swept the world, the Biden administration toughened the requirement and required all travelers — regardless of vaccination status — to test negative within a day of travel to the U.S. In February, travel groups argued that the testing requirement was obsolete because of the high number of omicron cases already in every state, higher vaccinations rates and new treatments for the virus. Meanwhile, travelers found creative ways around the rule. This spring, several Canadian teams in the National Hockey League flew to cities near the border, then took buses into the U.S. to avoid the risk of losing players who tested positive. U.S. airlines estimate that dropping the test requirement will mean 4.3 million more passengers in one year. It is unclear, however, whether airlines can boost flights quickly enough to handle that kind of increase. Airlines facing a shortage of pilots have already scaled back their original schedules for the peak summer vacation season. Brett Snyder, a travel adviser who writes about the industry at CrankyFlier.com , said the requirement has caused some people to postpone international travel. “It’s not that they are afraid of getting sick, they don’t want to get stuck,” Snyder said. He thinks there will now be a surge in booking those trips, “which, if anything, will lead to higher fares.” Hotels, theme parks and other travel businesses also lobbied the administration to drop the rule. “The whole industry has been waiting for this announcement,” said Martin Ferguson, a spokesman for American Express Global Business Travel, which advises companies on travel policy. He said there are few remaining pandemic policies that cause so much consternation for the travel sector, with China’s “zero-COVID” restrictions being another. Despite ending the testing requirement, the CDC said it still recommends COVID-19 testing prior to air travel of any kind as a safety precaution. ___ ___ Koenig reported from Dallas. AP Medical Reporter Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Airline travelers are not only facing sticker shock this Memorial Day weekend, the kick off to the summer travel season, but they're also battling a pileup of flight cancellations. More than 1,000 flights were canceled as of Saturday afternoon, May 28, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, after 2,300 cancellations on Friday.(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) By [The Associated Press](https://www.kgns.tv/authors/associated-press/) Published: Jun. 10, 2022 at 8:51 AM CDT\\|Updated: Jun. 10, 2022 at 7:59 PM CDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is lifting its requirement that international travelers test negative for COVID-19 within a day before boarding a flight to the United States, ending one of the last remaining government mandates designed to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that the requirement will end early Sunday morning. The health agency said it will continue to monitor state of the pandemic and will reassess the need for a testing requirement if the situation changes. “This step is possible because of the progress we’ve made in our fight against COVID-19,” said U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra. Airline and tourism groups have been pressing the administration for months to eliminate the testing requirement, saying it discourages people from booking international trips because they could be stranded overseas if they contract the virus on their trip. Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, called lifting the testing rule “another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States.” Airlines argued that the rule was put into effect when few Americans were vaccinated — now 71% of those 5 and older are fully vaccinated, according to CDC figures. They also complained that people entering the U.S. at land borders are not required to test negative for COVID-19, although they must show proof of vaccination. While domestic U.S. travel has returned nearly to pre-pandemic levels, international travel — which is very lucrative for the airlines — has continued to lag. In May, U.S. international air travel remained 24% below 2019 levels, with declines among both U.S. and foreign citizens, according to trade group Airlines for America. Many other countries have lifted their testing requirements for fully vaccinated and boosted travelers in a bid to increase tourism. Some infectious-disease experts said they were comfortable with the CDC’s decision, and that lifting the restriction is unlikely to cause further spread of the virus in the U.S. Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University said the rule was designed to prevent importing the virus, “but we’ve got plenty of COVID here. It’s like telling someone not to pour a bucket of water in their swimming pool.” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong at the University of California, San Francisco, said travel restrictions demonstrate that officials are trying to keep variants out, “but they haven’t really shown to be beneficial, ever.” However, he said, requiring foreign visitors to be vaccinated makes sense to avoid straining the U.S. health-care system with people who could develop severe disease. The requirement for a negative COVID-19 test before flying to the U.S. dates to January 2021 and is the most visible remaining U.S. travel restriction of the pandemic era. In April, a federal judge in Florida [struck down a requirement that passengers wear masks](https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-business-travel-tampa-3408cc825582126fbda5fbedd3a49dd3) on planes and public transportation, saying that the CDC had exceeded its authority. The Biden administration is appealing that ruling, saying it aims to protect the CDC’s ability to respond to future health emergencies. The Biden administration [put the testing requirement in place](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-business-air-travel-travel-e327b9d85a6dc81f07e226b937fe7097) as it moved away from rules that banned nonessential travel from dozens of countries — most of Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, India and Iran — and focused instead on classifying individuals by the risk they pose to others. It was coupled with a requirement that foreign, non-immigrant adults traveling to the United States need to be fully vaccinated, with only limited exceptions. The initial mandate allowed those who were fully vaccinated to show proof of a negative test within three days of travel, while unvaccinated people had to present a test taken within one day of travel. In November, as the [highly transmissible omicron variant](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-new-variant-omicron-explainer-116ef818ac4a8e7bc23bb28d6511ecad) swept the world, the Biden administration [toughened the requirement](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-travel-lifestyle-health-a5fabb683083f8cf733761f89caf4899) and required all travelers — regardless of vaccination status — to test negative within a day of travel to the U.S. In February, [travel groups argued that the testing requirement was obsolete](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-travel-business-travel-10f20ef571fdfb2ca23ac07719869987) because of the high number of omicron cases already in every state, higher vaccinations rates and new treatments for the virus. Meanwhile, travelers found creative ways around the rule. This spring, several Canadian teams in the National Hockey League flew to cities near the border, then [took buses into the U.S.](https://apnews.com/article/covid-nhl-health-sports-hockey-8ed16a5f786bd99634f04f591a35b015) to avoid the risk of losing players who tested positive. U.S. airlines estimate that dropping the test requirement will mean 4.3 million more passengers in one year. It is unclear, however, whether airlines can boost flights quickly enough to handle that kind of increase. Airlines facing a shortage of pilots have already scaled back their original schedules for the peak summer vacation season. Brett Snyder, a travel adviser who writes about the industry at [CrankyFlier.com](http://crankyflier.com/), said the requirement has caused some people to postpone international travel. “It’s not that they are afraid of getting sick, they don’t want to get stuck,” Snyder said. He thinks there will now be a surge in booking those trips, “which, if anything, will lead to higher fares.” Hotels, theme parks and other travel businesses also lobbied the administration to drop the rule. “The whole industry has been waiting for this announcement,” said Martin Ferguson, a spokesman for American Express Global Business Travel, which advises companies on travel policy. He said there are few remaining pandemic policies that cause so much consternation for the travel sector, with [China’s “zero-COVID” restrictions](https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-travel-holidays-restaurants-6086bd35b9532ba57c3858da7f0bae0b) being another. Despite ending the testing requirement, the CDC said it still recommends COVID-19 testing prior to air travel of any kind as a safety precaution. \_\_\_ \_\_\_ Koenig reported from Dallas. AP Medical Reporter Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. 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Readable Markdown	WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is lifting its requirement that international travelers test negative for COVID-19 within a day before boarding a flight to the United States, ending one of the last remaining government mandates designed to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that the requirement will end early Sunday morning. The health agency said it will continue to monitor state of the pandemic and will reassess the need for a testing requirement if the situation changes. “This step is possible because of the progress we’ve made in our fight against COVID-19,” said U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra. Airline and tourism groups have been pressing the administration for months to eliminate the testing requirement, saying it discourages people from booking international trips because they could be stranded overseas if they contract the virus on their trip. Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, called lifting the testing rule “another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States.” Airlines argued that the rule was put into effect when few Americans were vaccinated — now 71% of those 5 and older are fully vaccinated, according to CDC figures. They also complained that people entering the U.S. at land borders are not required to test negative for COVID-19, although they must show proof of vaccination. While domestic U.S. travel has returned nearly to pre-pandemic levels, international travel — which is very lucrative for the airlines — has continued to lag. In May, U.S. international air travel remained 24% below 2019 levels, with declines among both U.S. and foreign citizens, according to trade group Airlines for America. Many other countries have lifted their testing requirements for fully vaccinated and boosted travelers in a bid to increase tourism. Some infectious-disease experts said they were comfortable with the CDC’s decision, and that lifting the restriction is unlikely to cause further spread of the virus in the U.S. Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University said the rule was designed to prevent importing the virus, “but we’ve got plenty of COVID here. It’s like telling someone not to pour a bucket of water in their swimming pool.” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong at the University of California, San Francisco, said travel restrictions demonstrate that officials are trying to keep variants out, “but they haven’t really shown to be beneficial, ever.” However, he said, requiring foreign visitors to be vaccinated makes sense to avoid straining the U.S. health-care system with people who could develop severe disease. The requirement for a negative COVID-19 test before flying to the U.S. dates to January 2021 and is the most visible remaining U.S. travel restriction of the pandemic era. In April, a federal judge in Florida [struck down a requirement that passengers wear masks](https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-business-travel-tampa-3408cc825582126fbda5fbedd3a49dd3) on planes and public transportation, saying that the CDC had exceeded its authority. The Biden administration is appealing that ruling, saying it aims to protect the CDC’s ability to respond to future health emergencies. The Biden administration [put the testing requirement in place](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-business-air-travel-travel-e327b9d85a6dc81f07e226b937fe7097) as it moved away from rules that banned nonessential travel from dozens of countries — most of Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, India and Iran — and focused instead on classifying individuals by the risk they pose to others. It was coupled with a requirement that foreign, non-immigrant adults traveling to the United States need to be fully vaccinated, with only limited exceptions. The initial mandate allowed those who were fully vaccinated to show proof of a negative test within three days of travel, while unvaccinated people had to present a test taken within one day of travel. In November, as the [highly transmissible omicron variant](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-new-variant-omicron-explainer-116ef818ac4a8e7bc23bb28d6511ecad) swept the world, the Biden administration [toughened the requirement](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-travel-lifestyle-health-a5fabb683083f8cf733761f89caf4899) and required all travelers — regardless of vaccination status — to test negative within a day of travel to the U.S. In February, [travel groups argued that the testing requirement was obsolete](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-travel-business-travel-10f20ef571fdfb2ca23ac07719869987) because of the high number of omicron cases already in every state, higher vaccinations rates and new treatments for the virus. Meanwhile, travelers found creative ways around the rule. This spring, several Canadian teams in the National Hockey League flew to cities near the border, then [took buses into the U.S.](https://apnews.com/article/covid-nhl-health-sports-hockey-8ed16a5f786bd99634f04f591a35b015) to avoid the risk of losing players who tested positive. U.S. airlines estimate that dropping the test requirement will mean 4.3 million more passengers in one year. It is unclear, however, whether airlines can boost flights quickly enough to handle that kind of increase. Airlines facing a shortage of pilots have already scaled back their original schedules for the peak summer vacation season. Brett Snyder, a travel adviser who writes about the industry at [CrankyFlier.com](http://crankyflier.com/), said the requirement has caused some people to postpone international travel. “It’s not that they are afraid of getting sick, they don’t want to get stuck,” Snyder said. He thinks there will now be a surge in booking those trips, “which, if anything, will lead to higher fares.” Hotels, theme parks and other travel businesses also lobbied the administration to drop the rule. “The whole industry has been waiting for this announcement,” said Martin Ferguson, a spokesman for American Express Global Business Travel, which advises companies on travel policy. He said there are few remaining pandemic policies that cause so much consternation for the travel sector, with [China’s “zero-COVID” restrictions](https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-travel-holidays-restaurants-6086bd35b9532ba57c3858da7f0bae0b) being another. Despite ending the testing requirement, the CDC said it still recommends COVID-19 testing prior to air travel of any kind as a safety precaution. \_\_\_ \_\_\_ Koenig reported from Dallas. AP Medical Reporter Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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