USA Lifts COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement for Entry
Starting May 11, air travelers to the United States will not have to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon entry. This also marks the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency declared in January 2020.
As of May 11, air travelers to the USA will no longer be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. The White House announced that the expiration of the national public health emergency next week will make the last COVID-19 vaccine requirements at the federal level null and void.
The current vaccination requirements for federal employees and contractors will also expire on May 11. Additionally, the lifting of vaccine mandates for educators, healthcare workers, and foreign nationals at US land borders will be initiated.
COVID-19 Coordinator: “Reasonable to Lift Regulations”
The end of the measures marks the latest step in President Joe Biden’s efforts to treat COVID-19 as an endemic disease and move away from the exceptional circumstances of the past few years, during which the virus has proven deadly worldwide and particularly in the US.
Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House’s COVID-19 coordinator, told AP on Monday, “While I believe these vaccine requirements have had tremendous benefit, we are now at a point where we think it’s reasonable to lift these requirements.”