Companies Ask White House To End Predeparture Testing
As the pandemic shifts towards an endemic, more and more companies are looking to get back on track. One such industry still being hampered by current rules and regulations is the travel sector. While domestic travel has returned to near pandemic levels, the more expensive (at least normally) international travel still lags behind.
A part of that is still uneasiness with the pandemic from some travelers. Other barriers are caused by current rules and regulations surrounding travel. That could be restrictions imposed by foreign countries, but also restrictions still in place from the US government.
One such regulation still negatively impacting the travel industry is predeparture testing required for people to enter the United States. While other countries have started to remove this requirement, the US government has not budged as of yet.
That is why over 250 companies in the travel sector sent a letter to White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha, according to Travel Pulse. They requested that the US government repeal the pre-departure testing requirement for vaccinated international air travelers.
The letters listed the following reasons why the testing requirement should end:
- There are new public health tools that help effectively manage Covid-19
- Hospital grade ventilation systems in place aboard airplanes reduce risks
- Vaccination requirement that is in place reduces risks further
- Other countries have already begun to remove the testing requirement
Some of the companies, and associations, involved with sending the letters were Disney, American Airlines, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Los Angeles World Airports, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the U.S. Travel Association, U.S. Tour Operators Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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To avoid the stress of a possible negative test, I flew home from Istanbul via Mexico City over the weekend. Tested at 3am Mexico City time the day before my MEX-USA AA award flight. Luckily my test was negative, but left me the option to fly to Tijuana and use CBX to enter USA. It’s an option if you are returning from a high lodging cost/no award availability destination.
*possible positive test
It won’t be dropped until shortly before midterms- all political bs from people drunk on power and lacking any sense of competence. They have been dismantling this once great country from day one. My wife and I have spent over $500 testing to return to US in the last year and it accomplished NOTHING.
Agree. Agree. Agree. It is way overdue for the WH to drop this testing requirement. I have gone on 3 international trips recently and have 6 international trips upcoming. I keep hoping that this requirement gets dropped every time.
The request needs to be framed differently. If you explain to Biden that most vaccinated people are Liberals, and most unvaccinated people (or vax deniers) are Trump voters, it is a much easier sell to drop the pre-departure testing requirement for fully vaccinated people. Because you don’t want to piss off your base. You want to keep them engaged. You might however want to piss off your opponent.
Write all the letters you want…..none of it matters to the tone-deaf idiot in the White House.
Well, I sure hope that it does get dropped before May 31. Mainly because the day before I return, I have to waste more than a decent part of my day going to get tested. It’s complete BS since almost every other first world nation is not requiring this at all.
That is totally the way it would work out for me haha
Why don’t you do telehealth visits? Only takes 20-30 minutes from your day, in the comfort of your hotel. I have used emed Binax tests so far, but Onpoint provides telehealth visits for $24 with almost any unopened over the counter tests.