DHS to lift Covid vaccine requirement for non-US travelers
By Ross Levitt and Pete Muntean, CNN
One of the last remaining Covid-related travel restrictions in the United States is about to go away.
Non-US travelers entering the country will no longer be required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 beginning May 12, the Department of Homeland Security announced Monday.
“DHS intends to rescind these Title 19 travel restrictions in alignment with the end of the Public Health Emergency and the termination of the Presidential Proclamation on air travel,” the agency said in a statement.
The travel industry is welcoming the news. It has said that the restriction has hampered its businesses.
“Today’s action to lift the vaccine requirement eases a significant entry barrier for many global travelers, moving our industry and country forward,” U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a statement.
The repercussions of the decision could have a big impact in the sports world, as well.
The world’s No. 1 tennis player, Novak Djokovic, has had to miss several tournaments in the US due to the vaccine requirement.
“We certainly hope that Novak will be able to enter the country and compete in the 2023 US Open. He is a great champion and a fan favorite, and we would welcome him at this year’s tournament,” United States Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier told CNN in a statement.
The decision comes as the United States and the world continue to move past the pandemic.
The United States’ public health emergency will expire on May 11.
And the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will stop reporting its color-coded Covid-19 Community Levels as a way to track the spread of the infection.
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CNN’s Brenda Goodman contributed to this report.
