Travel Organizations Call for Easing of COVID-19 Restrictions
Letter to administration asks for elimination of mask mandate and testing requirement >>
by: Harvey Chipkin
The U.S. Travel Association, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Airlines for America and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are urging the administration to replace pandemic-era travel advisories, requirements and restrictions with “endemic-focused policies that enable travel to resume fully and safely and the American economy to accelerate its recovery.” The groups noted that in 2021, business travel spending was about 50% below 2019 levels, and international travel spending was down 78% compared with 2019. In a letter to Jeffrey Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, the groups called on the administration to normalize travel conditions, which include repealing both the pre-departure testing requirement for vaccinated inbound air travelers and the federal mask mandate for public transportation, among other policies. The letter also asked the government to: end “avoid travel” advisories and the use of travel bans; work with other countries to normalize travel conditions and entry requirements; develop benchmarks and timelines by June 1 for “a pathway to the new normal that repeals pandemic-focused travel restrictions”; and send a clear message to the American public and the world that it is safe to travel again, particularly for vaccinated individuals. The letter said effective risk-based policies can be reinstated at any time if new variants of concern emerge or the public health situation deteriorates.
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