The US Government has announced that it will end vaccination requirements for all international air travellers on 11 May 2023.
The ruling, which comes into effect on the same day that the COVID-19 public health emergency officially ends, also applies to requirements for US Federal employees, Federal contractors and workers in certain education and healthcare sectors.
In a statement released by the White House, the Biden-Harris Administration said the vaccination requirements had been in place for certain international travellers “to slow the spread of new variants entering the country and to allow our healthcare system time to effectively manage access to care if faced with an increase in cases and hospitalizations”.
The US is one of the few countries with pandemic travel restrictions still in place.
The White House statement went on to say that its COVID-19 vaccination laws – which led to nearly 270 million Americans receiving at least one shot of the COVID vaccine – and broader vaccination campaign had “saved millions of lives”.
But it added, “we are now in a different phase of our response when these measures are no longer necessary”.
More work to do
Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, which represents the American travel industry, said the announcement “eases a significant entry barrier for many global travellers, moving our industry and country forward”.
“However, the return of international visitors should be as efficient and secure as possible,” he said.
“The federal government must ensure US airports and other ports of entry are appropriately staffed with Customs and Border Protection officers to meet the growing demand for entry.”
The new ruling also applies to travellers entering the US by land and sea, which should boost cruise tourism and numbers coming into the country by road from Canada.
US Congressman Brian Higgins, whose Western New York district borders parts of Ontario (Canada) said vaccination requirements had hitherto “kept families apart and impeded economic recovery”.
“While long overdue, this last lifting of pandemic restrictions is certainly welcome news and critically important as we seek opportunities to encourage a robust cross-border exchange that delivers shared prosperity,” he said in a statement.
In February, the US House of Representatives voted to immediately end the rule to only allow fully vaccinated travellers into the country. But the relaxation of laws was not moved forward.
