US lifts COVID-19 test requirement for entry

Travelers arrive at the international terminal of the O'Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois. (AFP file photo)
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  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late on Friday issued an order rescinding a 17-month-old requirement that people arriving in the US by air test negative for COVID-19

RIYADH: International travelers will no longer need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test before boarding flights to the US.

The US Mission to Saudi Arabia also shared the news on their Twitter account.

@USAinKSA tweeted: “Starting June 12, air travelers to the US will no longer have to show a negative COVID-19 test result or any documents proving they have recovered before boarding the plane.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late on Friday issued an order rescinding a 17-month-old requirement that people arriving in the US by air test negative for COVID-19.

The health agency said that it will continue to monitor state of the pandemic and will reassess the need for new testing requirements if the situation changes.

Meanwhile, people traveling from Saudi Arabian airports must present the Tawakkalna app, which shows their health status, according to the regulations of the General Authority of Civil Aviation.

Almost 541 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported worldwide since the outbreak of the pandemic, and more than 6.3 million people have died after contracting the virus.

Infections have been reported in 228 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

More than 516 million people have recovered from the virus.

The US, India and Brazil have seen the highest number of confirmed cases, followed by France, Germany, the UK, Russia, South Korea, Italy and Turkey.