U.S. travel industry urges White House to lift COVID restrictions, mask mandate

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Vacation Association on Tuesday urged the White Home to raise COVID-19 vacation restrictions and repeal a mandate necessitating masks on airplanes and in other transit modes by April 18, according to a letter viewed by Reuters.

In a letter to Dr. Ashish Jha, the incoming White Property COVID reaction coordinator, the group called for an quick finish to the pre-departure screening prerequisite for all thoroughly vaccinated inbound international individuals and ending the mask mandate by April 18 “or saying a system and timeline to repeal the federal mask mandate in just the subsequent 90 times.”

The White House did not promptly comment.

“It can make small feeling to continue to keep the pre-departure tests prerequisite in location for inbound air tourists when the U.S. govt does not call for detrimental checks at U.S-Canada and U.S.-Mexico land border points of entry,” wrote U.S. Travel Main Government Roger Dow.

The vacation business also would like the Facilities for Disorder Manage and Avoidance (CDC) to conclusion “stay clear of journey” advisories for all vaccinated folks and urged the Biden administration to stay clear of the long run “use of journey bans from unique international locations.”

In full, the CDC urges Us residents to keep away from vacation to about 120 nations around the world and territories.

It also calls by June 1 to “establish benchmarks and timelines for a pathway to the new standard that repeals pandemic-focused travel limits” like ending all remaining limits, such as worldwide vaccine and testing mandates.

Previously this thirty day period, the Biden administration extended requirements for travelers to don masks on airplanes, trains and in transit hubs through April 18 as public health and fitness authorities evaluate when mask necessities need to be dropped.

The mask specifications have resulted in considerable friction on U.S. airplanes.

The CDC reported very last week that 99.5% of the U.S. population is in a place the place COVID levels are minimal plenty of that people today do not need to use masks.

(Reporting by David Shepardson Enhancing by Chris Reese and Mark Porter)