No more Covid-19 test for most arrivals in the United States

Covid Testing

No more Covid testing for most arrivals in the United States

The United States  will drop the Covid-19 testing requirement for inbound air travelers from abroad on Sunday the 12th of June. This change takes place at 12:01 a.m. eastern Standard time.  This will make traveling to Mexico and returning home for our US readers much easier. Not more figuring  out where to get the cheapest test or spending half a day of your vacation getting test results to re-enter the United States. 

The rule, put in place by the Trump administration in early 2021 and later enhanced by the Biden administration, most recently required inbound travelers, including U.S. citizens, to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test 24 hours before boarding U.S. bound flights. Land crossings at borders were exempt. 

Airlines and others in the travel industry had repeatedly pushed the administration to drop the requirement, saying it was hurting demand for international trips. It was one of the things that the travel industry in Mexico had to adapt to quickly in order to comply with requirements. The United States has had one of the longer requirements for entry compared to other countries. 

Covid test Playa Del Carmen
Covid-19 testing added more stress to travelers and costs. For a family traveling it could add a couple hundred dollars to a trip.

“The Biden administration is to be commended for this action, which will welcome back visitors from around the world and accelerate the recovery of the U.S. travel industry,” Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, said in a statement. “International inbound travel is vitally important to businesses and workers across the country who have struggled to regain losses from this valuable sector.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will reassess the decision in 90 days, according to a senior Biden administration official. “If there is a need to reinstate a pre-departure testing requirement — including due to a new, concerning variant — CDC will not hesitate to act,” the official said.

The travel industry clashed with both the Biden and Trump administrations throughout the pandemic over rules aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19, including a strict ban on most foreign visitors into the U.S., which was eventually lifted in November. Take note that most noncitizen visitors to the U.S. will still have to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination before flying to the U.S., a White House spokesman said.

Changing restrictions has kept the Mexican travel industry on their feet

When several of the countries that send the most visitors to the Rivera Maya instituted covid-19 test for re-entry, it put everyone into a spin to get prepared. Large hotels offered free testing to for long stays, list circulated of places to get tested and sites popped up on 5th Avenue for testing. Almost every on block of 5th Avenue in Playa Del Carmen you can find a testing place. Even the Cancun Airport offered one last place to get tested before take off. Now, as we move to a different phase of the pandemic, it is nice to see less restrictions that mean we are all moving on. 

For those traveling to the Riviera Maya now, there is a recommendation to wear mask in public outdoor spaces, but not requires. Here is the latest mask restrictions for the Riviera Maya/Playa Del Carmen area.  

travel Playa Del Carmen
Taking a private transfer instead of a taxi will get you here a lot faster and with less stress.

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