U.S. House plans vote to end foreign air traveller COVID vaccine mandate

WASHINGTON –

The U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote on a invoice that may finish a requirement that almost all overseas air travellers be vaccinated towards COVID-19, Majority Leader Steve Scalise mentioned on Friday.

The Biden administration in June dropped its requirement that individuals arriving within the nation by air should check unfavorable for COVID-19 however has not lifted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccination necessities.

Currently, grownup guests to the United States who should not residents or everlasting residents should present proof of vaccination earlier than boarding their flight, with some restricted exceptions.

Republican Representative Thomas Massie launched the measure to rescind the vaccine requirement. “The CDC’s unscientific mandate is separating too many people from their families and has been doing so for far too long. It needs to end,” he mentioned on Twitter.

The CDC says vaccines proceed to be a very powerful public well being device for combating COVID-19 and recommends all travellers be vaccinated. The CDC didn’t instantly remark Friday.

The U.S. Travel Association mentioned Thursday it has “long supported the removal of this requirement and see no reason to wait until the May expiration of the public health emergency – particularly as potential visitors are planning spring and summer travel.”

The group says the United States “is the only country that still has this requirement for international visitors when there is no longer any public health justification.”

Mask necessities on airplanes had been relaxed final 12 months after a choose declared them illegal.

But in December, the United States imposed obligatory unfavorable COVID-19 check necessities on most travellers from China as COVID-19 infections rocketed there.