US will end Covid-19 testing requirement for air travelers entering ...

CNN —

The Biden administration is expected to announce Friday that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will lift its requirement for travelers to test negative for Covid-19 before entering the US, according to a senior administration official and a US Centers For Disease Control and Prevention official.

The move, which CNN was first to report, will go into effect for US-bound air travelers at midnight on Sunday, the officials said.

The CDC is lifting the restriction that the travel industry had lobbied against for months after determining it was no longer necessary “based on the science and data,” the senior administration official said. The CDC has the ability to reassess the order at any time and potentially reinstate it, especially if a new variant develops and poses concern. The measure has been in place since January 2021.

That official said the Biden administration plans to work with airlines to ensure a smooth transition with the change, but it will likely be a welcome move for most in the industry.

In a statement to CNN, the CDC said, “The Covid-19 pandemic has now shifted to a new phase, due to the widespread uptake of highly effective Covid-19 vaccines, the availability of effective therapeutics, and the accrual of high rates of vaccine- and infection-induced immunity at the population level in the United States. Each of these measures has contributed to lower risk of severe disease and death across the United States.”

Travel industry officials have been increasingly critical of the requirement in recent weeks and directly urged the Biden administration to end the measure, arguing it was having a chilling effect on an already fragile economy, according to Airlines for America chief Nick Calio, whose group met recently with White House officials.

The travel industry, and some scientific experts, said the policy had been out of date for months.

Lawmakers, including Democrats, had also advocated for lifting the requirement in recent weeks.

Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said, “I’m glad CDC suspended the burdensome coronavirus testing requirement for international travelers, and I’ll continue to do all I can to support the strong recovery of our hospitality industry.”

White House officials met last month with travel industry officials, who pressed the Biden administration to end its requirements that vaccinated international travelers take a coronavirus test before flying to the United States.

Airlines for America said its members – including American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines – had believed lifting the requirements would lead more foreigners to visit the US.

The trade association told CNN that in mid-May, domestic travel came within 7 percentage points of pre-pandemic levels, but international travel lagged at 14% below normal.

US Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow praised the decision.

“Prior to the pandemic, travel was one of our nation’s largest industry exports. The lifting of this requirement will enable the industry to lead the way toward a broader US economic and jobs recovery,” Dow said in a statement.

The industry has criticized the policy as out of date for months, and some medical experts have also questioned its utility.

Testing international arrivals doesn’t make much sense to Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

“I’ve been bemused about that for a long time because we’ve got plenty of Covid here! It’s not as though we’re trying to keep Covid out,” Schaffner told CNN in March. “It’s here already.”

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

Canada ends COVID-19 entry requirements starting Oct. 1

Travelers heading to Canada will have an easier time entering the country as it drops its COVID entry requirements starting Saturday.

Travelers will no longer have to show proof of vaccination, take a test before or on arrival or follow quarantine rules, the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a news release Monday. Canada will also no longer require the use of ArriveCAN, which travelers can use to submit information like vaccination proof and travel details, among other changes.

The topic of loosening COVID measures came up in Wednesday's caucus meeting at Parliament Hill. Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault told the press officials were "going to make sure that as we open up the economy, we do so in a systematic and respectful way."

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Earlier this year, Canada loosened its entry requirements so fully vaccinated travelers don't have to show a negative pre-departure COVID test but did still have to use ArriveCAN system (or risk a $5,000 fine).

Those who weren't considered fully vaccinated could only enter Canada for certain types of visits and had to show a negative test before and after arrival plus do a 14-day quarantine.

The country first closed its borders in March 2020.

What are the new rules for entering Canada?

► In addition to dropping vaccine, testing and quarantine rules, travelers will no longer need to monitor for or report COVID symptoms after arriving.

► Transport Canada is also removing additional rules, and travelers will not face health checks for travel by air or rail, and masks will not be required on planes or trains, though they are still encouraged to wear "high quality and well-fitted masks" throughout their trip, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

► Pre-embarkation testing, vaccine, and ArriveCAN requirements for cruise passengers will also be lifted, though some guidelines will remain in place, which the agency said would line up with the U.S.

The agency said the changes were "facilitated by a number of factors, including modelling that indicates that Canada has largely passed the peak of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 fuelled wave, Canada’s high vaccination rates, lower hospitalization and death rates, as well as the availability and use of vaccine boosters (including new bivalent formulation), rapid tests, and treatments for COVID-19."

Following the change, the U.S. Travel Association's Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy, Tori Emerson Barnes, called on the U.S. to stop requiring that international visitors show proof of vaccination.

“Ottawa is taking the right step by lifting its vaccine and testing requirement to enter Canada, which will give its economy a substantial boost," she said in a statement. "Washington should follow suit by immediately suspending proof of vaccination for qualified visitors from Canada and other nations, given the wide access to effective Covid boosters and therapies."

She continued, "Canada is the No. 1 source of international travelers to the United States, and we should take every action to accelerate recovery from this vital market.”

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CDC warns people before traveling to Canada

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention currently says Canada has a "high" COVID-19 level and warns people to be up to date with their vaccines before entering the country.

Canada saw 18,718 new COVID cases over the past week, and 223 new deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine.

Canada travel: COVID test requirement to drop for vaccinated visitors

Vaccinated tourists will no longer need a pre-departure COVID test to enter Canada starting April 1.

Travelers do not need a booster shot to be considered fully vaccinated.

Masks are still required on planes and trains.

Traveling to Canada soon? There's a good chance you won't need to worry about a pre-departure coronavirus test.

Canada's Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos announced Thursday that the country would no longer require fully vaccinated travelers to show a negative pre-departure coronavirus test to enter the country starting April 1 at 12:01 AM EDT. Tourists will not need a booster shot to be considered fully vaccinated.

The announcement comes as Canada's COVID-19 case counts begin to settle after the latest COVID-19 surge driven by the highly-contagious omicron variant. The country recorded more than 35,000 cases in the past week, a fraction of the record high weekly count of 268,181 recorded in January, according to Johns Hopkins data.

"We are in a much better position today than in 2020," Duclos said. "High vaccination rates and strong adherence to public health measures have pushed us through the peak of the omicron wave."

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The country originally closed its borders to nonessential travel after the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.

After more than a year of only allowing essential travel across its borders, travel restrictions began to ease in August when Canada's borders opened to vaccinated travelers who could show proof of a negative molecular coronavirus test, such as a PCR test. In February, the country began accepting negative rapid antigen tests for entry.

Can unvaccinated people travel to Canada?

People who have received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of Johnson and Johnson's vaccine at least 14 days before arriving in Canada are considered fully vaccinated.

When asked why boosters were not required for entry, Duclos said Canadian officials will continue to review travel measures. Restrictions will continue to adjust as the epidemiological situation evolves.

Travelers who are not fully vaccinated are only allowed entry under certain circumstances and will need to test for coronavirus before and after arrival and quarantine for 14 days.

Vaccinated travelers only need to take a post-arrival test if they are selected through Canada's random testing surveillance program. They will not need to quarantine while awaiting test results.

All travelers will still need to use the ArriveCAN app or website to enter, and masks are still required on planes and trains among people age 6 and older.

Economic impact

Randy Boissonnault, Canada's minister of tourism and associate minister of finance, said the new travel measures will make it easier for people to visit Canada "in the spring and beyond."

"And they will come," Boissonnault said. "With our high vaccination rates and our focus on health and safety, Canada has a huge advantage in attracting visitors because they know it's safe to travel to Canada."

Air Canada released a statement Thursday welcoming the new travel measures.

"The removal of pre-departure testing requirements will continue to accelerate and stimulate the recovery of Canada's travel and tourism industry, which we are committed to help rebuild through the restoration of our global network," David Rheault, Air Canada's vice president of government and community relations, said in the statement.

CDC warns US travelers to ‘avoid’ Canada

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Canada has "very high" levels of COVID-19, and advises U.S. travelers to avoid the country.

"If you must travel to Canada, make sure you are vaccinated and up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before travel," the CDC’s website reads. "Even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, you may still be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19."

Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz.

US travel restrictions lift: International flyers can skip COVID test

International travel just got a whole lot easier.

The Biden administration announced Friday that the United States will no longer require a pre-departure COVID-19 test to enter the country, effective Sunday.

The requirement lifted at 12:01 a.m. ET, according to a senior administration official. The rule change comes more than a year after the country started requiring a negative test for entry and more than two years since the pandemic began.

Under previous entry requirements, air passengershad to take a negative viral coronavirus test no more than one day before boarding their flight into the U.S. The rule applied to all travelers, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship, but granted exemptions to travelers 2 and older who had recently recovered from the virus.

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The decision came, according to the official, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined based on science that the requirement is no longer necessary. The decision will be reassessed in 90 days, and the health agency plans to evaluate it on an ongoing basis.

If it becomes necessary to reinstate the pre-departure test requirement (in case of new, concerning variants, for example), the official continued, the CDC will plan to do so.

A number of other countries, including the United Kingdom, had already dropped pre-departure testing requirements for fully vaccinated visitors.

Requirements for travelers entering the U.S. by land or ferry remain unchanged: non-U.S. citizens, nationals and permanent residents can only enter if they are fully vaccinated. There is no testing requirement for land ports or ferry terminals.

News of restriction drop well received by travel sectors

Across the travel industry, news of the pre-departure testing requirement for international, U.S.-bound travelers dropping was well received.

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow said in a statement that Friday's news "marks another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States."

"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," Dow continued.

And Airlines for America President and CEO Nicholas Calio said in a statement that the organization is pleased with the decision.

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"The airline industry appreciates the Administration's decision to lift the pre-departure testing requirement in accordance with the current epidemiological environment," Calio said. "Lifting this policy will help encourage and restore air travel to the United States, benefiting communities across the country that rely heavily on travel and tourism to support their local economies. We are eager to welcome the millions of travelers who are ready to come to the U.S. for vacation, business and reunions with loved ones."

Members of the cruise industry also welcomed the news.

Gus Antorcha, the president of Holland America Line, said in a statement that the move is a "step forward in the return to all global travel, including cruising."

John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises, said the same.

“This is a tremendous development that allows our guests to travel more easily and without stress throughout Europe as well as experience our Alaskan cruises that conclude in a Canadian port,” said Padgett.

'Do travel restrictions work?'

The World Health Organization in January urged countries not to rely on proof of vaccination as a prerequisite to visiting a country.

Under U.S. entry requirements, unvaccinated citizens and permanent residents will be able to enter with a negative test but most foreign nationals will still need proof of full vaccination to enter.

The mandates contradict findings that show travel restrictions slow the spread of the virus but do little to prevent it.

"We know that travel restrictions can’t stop the spread of these pathogens, especially when you have a novel pathogen that mainly spreads when people are asymptomatic or mild," Maria van Kerkhove, the WHO's COVID-19 technical lead, told USA TODAY in February. "You may slow spread, but it won't stop the spread."

Stewart Simonson, assistant director-general at the WHO's New York office, added at the time that while travel restrictions may work "as a domestic political matter," their efficiency as a public health measure is less certain.

"Do (travel restrictions) show the public that something's being done? If that's your perspective, then they work," Simonson said. "Do they work from a public health perspective? Are they reducing the rate of spread or the spread itself? That's another important way of looking at it, and there's a lot of uncertainty."

Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz.

South Korea to allow fully vaccinated travelers to visit without a ...

More than two years after the onset of the pandemic, South Korea is getting ready to make travel easier for international tourists.

Starting April 1, travelers who have been fully vaccinated overseas and registered their vaccination history with South Korea's Q-Code website will be able to enter the country without a seven-day quarantine period.

Travelers who have completed a two-dose vaccine series at least 14 days before their trip will be considered fully vaccinated. A one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also be accepted. If more than 180 days have passed since a traveler completed their initial vaccination series, they will need a booster shot to be considered fully vaccinated.

Overseas travelers will receive a QR code through the Q-Code system, which can be scanned at immigration, according to the Korea Tourism Organization's website. The Q-Code system will ask for information such as a passport number, departure country, airline, phone number and vaccine records.

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Travelers arriving by plane will need to show proof of a negative PCR coronavirus test taken no more than 48 hours before departure. Children under the age of 6 do not need a coronavirus test to enter.

The U.S. Embassy and Consulate in the Republic of Korea says passengers may also face "temperature screening, health questionnaires, quarantines, and/or COVID-tests, depending on points of departure, visa status, and nationality" upon arrival.

Unvaccinated travelers and as well as all travelers from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Myanmar – regardless of vaccination status – are still required to quarantine.

Delta Air Lines offers flights between the U.S. and Seoul and airline President Glen Hauenstein cited the country's new travel measures as another positive sign of the travel rebound during an investor conference in New York on Tuesday.

The easing of restrictions comes as South Korea faces its largest COVID-19 surge yet. The country reported a record-high 383,651 cases on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University data. There were 293 deaths reported Monday, also a record high.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says South Korea has "very high" COVID levels, and says U.S. travelers should avoid the country.

"If you must travel to South Korea, make sure you are vaccinated and up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before travel," the CDC says on its website.

Contributing: Dawn Gilbertson, USA TODAY. Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz.

Coronavirus: 2022 ends with looming risk of a new variant, public ...

CNN —

As the world enters a new year, many public health and infectious disease experts predict that monitoring for new coronavirus variants will be an increasingly important part of Covid-19 mitigation efforts – and some are turning their attention to a surge in cases in China.

Subvariants of the Omicron coronavirus variant continue to circulate globally, and “we’re seeing Omicron do what viruses do, which is it picks up mutations along the way that helps it evade a little bit of immunity that’s induced by previous infection or vaccination,” said Andrew Pekosz, a microbiologist and immunologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

“We haven’t seen any major jumps in terms of Omicron evolution in some time,” he said. But “it’s getting to that stage where it’s something that we have to continue to monitor.”

In the United States, the Omicron subvariants XBB.1.5, BQ.1.1, BQ.1, BA.5 and XBB are causing almost all Covid-19 infections, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For this week, the CDC estimates that XBB.1.5 now causes 40.5% of cases in the US, followed by BQ.1.1 at 26.9%; BQ.1 at 18.3%; BA.5 at 3.7%; and XBB at 3.6%.

“SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is constantly changing and accumulating mutations in its genetic code over time. New variants of SARS-CoV-2 are expected to continue to emerge,” CDC researchers write in their data tracker. “Some variants will emerge and disappear, while others will emerge and continue to spread and may replace previous variants.”

Omicron’s offshoots appear to dominate globally as well, but as the coronavirus continues to spread – especially in China after Beijing’s rapid easing of restrictions – there is now concern about where Covid-19 trends could be heading in 2023 and the risk of new variants emerging.

“It is a worry,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. “And that, of course, has led to the CDC’s very recent announcement that they are going to oblige people who come to this country from China to be tested and test negative before they can come into the country.”

US health officials announced Wednesday that, starting January 5, travelers from China will be required to show a negative Covid-19 test result before flying to the country. Passengers traveling to the US from China will need to get tested no more than two days before flying and present proof of the negative test to their airline before boarding.

Officials also announced that the CDC is expanding the traveler-based Genomic Surveillance Program to airports in Seattle and Los Angeles, bringing the total number of airports participating to seven with about 500 weekly flights from at least 30 countries covered, including about 290 weekly flights from China and surrounding areas.

The Chinese government has not been sharing a lot of information about the genetic composition of the viruses that it’s seeing there, Schaffner said.

“Because the Chinese government was not doing that, that was the main reason CDC put this new travel requirement in place. It’s certainly not to prevent simple transmission of Covid from China here. We’ve got plenty of Covid. That would be like telling people not to pour a bucket of water into a swimming pool,” he said. “This travel testing requirement is a way to buy us some time and help create somewhat of a buffer between ourselves and China, should a new variant suddenly appear in that country.”

He added that the US will need “as much time as possible” to update vaccines and antivirals to respond to a potential emerging variant of concern.

‘It really is a bit of a black hole’

The US testing requirements for travelers will “buy some time,” but they won’t prevent new Covid-19 cases from coming to the United States or new variants from emerging, said Dr. Carlos Del Rio, the executive associate dean for the Emory School of Medicine and Grady Health System in Atlanta.

“I don’t think we’re going to see much benefit, honestly,” he said of the travel requirements. “The most important thing we need right now is, we need the Chinese to have more transparency and tell us exactly what’s going on, and that is pretty much a diplomatic decision. This is about diplomacy.”

In terms of the genetic data on coronaviruses in China that is accessible to the public, “It really is a bit of a black hole,” Pekosz said. Almost 250 million people in China may have caught Covid-19 in the first 20 days of December, according to an internal estimate from the nation’s top health officials, Bloomberg News and the Financial Times reported last week.

“To me, what’s really a concern is the ongoing infections and whether they’re producing more variants in China that might be of particular concern for us, and testing people before they get on a plane won’t answer that question,” Pekosz said.

“What we really need is to do a much better job of sequencing the viruses from individuals who are traveling from China so that we can aid in terms of understanding what kinds of variants are circulating there,” he said, adding that throughout the pandemic, Chinese officials have not been very transparent about their data on variants.

More spread, more variants

Constant spread of a virus is what can lead to the emergence of variants. The more a virus spreads, the more it mutates.

“For a variant to emerge – and this is true not only for Covid, but for influenza and for a lot of other viruses – the most critical thing is, the more cases that you have, the more likely that the virus will start to accumulate mutations that might have the ability to evade immunity more effectively or to transmit more effectively,” Pekosz said.

“So when you have a situation like what’s starting to turn out in China, where you’re going to have millions upon millions of infections, every one of those infections is just one additional opportunity for the virus to pick up a random mutation that might make it better at infecting people,” he said. “Combine that with the fact that the Chinese population has been using less-than-optimal vaccines and has apparently not been as good about putting boosters into their population as other countries have, that means that there’s probably a lower amount of immunity in the population.”

Health authorities in China have “noticeably increased” the number of coronavirus genome sequences and other related data they are submitting to the global database GISAID, an initiative that maintains databases for scientists around the world to share data on flu viruses and coronaviruses.

But many experts argue that it’s not enough.

GISAID said in an email to CNN on Wednesday that China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and several regional centers in the country, “have noticeably increased the number of submissions of genome sequence and associated metadata from samples taken in recent days.”

The number of genome sequences from China grew to just shy of 1,000, as of Friday, according to GISAID.

GISAID also confirmed that the sequences from China “all closely resemble known globally circulating variants seen in different parts of the world between July and December 2022,” compared with the 14.4 million genomes in its database.

“These latest data provide a snapshot of the evolution of the Omicron variants and shows that these most recently shared sequences from China are closely related to variants that have been circulating for some time,” according to GISAID.

What the future may hold

Covid-19 is in a relatively “stable” state right now in the United States, but the nation still sees about 350 deaths related to the disease each day, said Dr. Jessica Justman, an associate professor of medicine in epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and senior technical director of the global health program ICAP.

While Covid-19 levels remain far below those of prior surges, trends are on the rise in parts of the US, new hospital admissions have jumped nearly 50% over the past month, and there is growing concern that case numbers could soar after the winter holidays.

To reduce the risk of increased Covid-19 spread, Justman said, it will be important for people in the new year to continue to stay up-to-date with their Covid-19 vaccinations.

Only 14.6% of the US population ages 5 and older has gotten their updated booster shot, according to CDC data.

“So where are we going? That does take me to China,” Justman said.

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“I’m concerned that China right now is one giant incubator of SARS-CoV-2. There is the potential to have so many infections and with that, new variants,” she said.

“I think we’re going to be looking at new variants of concern” in 2023, Justman said. “The question is: Will we go back to a point where we have a variant of concern that causes such severe illness that we don’t get the benefit of our protection from prior infections and from prior vaccinations? … I’m going to be optimistic and say I don’t think we’re going to go back to that point.”

Puerto Rico travel: Domestic flights to require testing before arrival

Puerto Rico resident Sarah Molinari was looking forward to spending time in New York this week to catch up with family and celebrate the holidays. What she didn't see coming were the hours spent scrolling through COVID-19 testing center websites to make sure she could fly home Tuesday.

While traveling to the U.S. territory used to be a breeze for Molinari and other vaccinated travelers, that changes Monday when Puerto Rico starts requiring all travelers to test negative for COVID-19 before arriving.

The new rule comes as the U.S. finds itself in the midst of yet another coronavirus test shortage, with consumers facing limited sales at retailers and long lines at testing centers.

“I was getting really frustrated, thinking about how do I plan and make sure I get this test in time?” Molinari said. "I have no problem with the policy itself. It's more of the inadequacy of testing on a national scale right now that's making these policies really complicated."

Testing requirements are nothing new in the age of COVID-19, but travelers are finding it more difficult – and more expensive – to visit certain domestic destinations amid the latest testing shortage.

New COVID testing requirements to enter Puerto Rico begin Monday

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi announced the rule change Monday, one week before the new rules were set to go into effect.

Starting this Monday, all passengers arriving on domestic flights must show a negative coronavirus test taken no more than 48 hours before arrival, regardless of vaccination status. (Currently, only unvaccinated domestic travelers are required to show proof of a negative test.)

Discover Puerto Rico, the territory's destination marketing organization, told USA TODAY that PCR and rapid tests are accepted, but at-home tests cannot be used.

"The government of Puerto Rico, along with Discover Puerto Rico, are committed to protecting and prioritizing the health and safety of all on the Island; residents and visitors alike," reads a statement from Discover Puerto Rico. "The changes to local guidelines made by Governor Pierluisi and the Health Department this week reflect the recent and rapidly changing landscape of COVID-19, which required immediate action."

Officials "highly suggest" travelers test before departure, but passengers who arrive without a negative coronavirus test will have 48 hours to take a test upon arrival. Tests are available at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, and Discover Puerto Rico noted that travelers can also schedule a test at a local pharmacy. Those who don't get tested in time face a $300 fine.

Travelers who test on the island do not need to quarantine while they wait for results, according to Discover Puerto Rico, but unvaccinated travelers will need to quarantine seven days after arrival, even with a negative test.

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Difficulties getting tested

While post-arrival testing is an option, Molinari said the Caribbean island has its own testing supply issues. Discover Puerto Rico’s website says travelers can get a test on-site at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport after arrival, but travelers should be prepared to pay $110 for the service.

“I can't do that,” said Molinari, who was surprised to learn the test’s price tag.

But finding a test stateside is also a challenge.

"Friends that were going to the public testing sites around New York were telling me about hourslong waits," she said. "Some of them show up at one site, wait for hours and then they would run out of tests. So my thought was ... I really just might not get a test when I need it."

Eventually, after about four hours trying to track down a test her insurance would cover, Molinari found a clinic that could offer her an antigen test at no cost.

“I have access to the technology and the information, and I have the time to navigate this process, whereas, for many others, that's not the situation that they're in,” Molinari said. “So if this was hard for me, my question is, how is someone else supposed to do this?”

Other travelers have taken to social media with their concerns over finding a test in time.

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Hawaii, US Virgin Islands: Other testing requirements for domestic flights

White House press secretary Jen Psaki reiterated Thursday that the federal government does not plan to require testing for domestic air travel at this time.

"We still require masks on airplanes, of course. We've also increased the fee on, if people do not wear masks on airplanes," she said. "Rules, as you know, for international travel are different ... to help keep COVID cases out of this country and delay any new possible variant from coming into the country."

All U.S. flights – domestic and international – require masks through at least March 18. International flights into the U.S. also require a negative pre-departure viral coronavirus test taken no more than one day before travel.

Even so, some domestic destinations have taken it into their own hands to add more stringent entry requirements.

► Hawaii: Unvaccinated U.S. travelers flying into Hawaii can take a test to avoid a 10-day quarantine. The state accepts Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests, or NAATs, from a trusted travel partner taken no more than 72 hours before departure.

► U.S. Virgin Islands: Domestic travelers 5 and older flying into the U.S. Virgin Islands must submit a negative antigen or NAAT test within five days of travel, including those who have been fully vaccinated outside the Virgin Islands.

►Northern Mariana Islands:As of Monday, all fully vaccinated travelers must be tested for the coronavirus upon arrival. Travelers must quarantine while they wait for their results. Unvaccinated travelers must quarantine at a designated government facility for seven days and will be tested after the quarantine period ends. If their test is positive, they will be isolated for another 10 days at the facility.

► American Samoa: The U.S. territory currently limits entry to essential purposes.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz.

Travel to New Zealand: Country to reopen to US travelers this May

New Zealand is set to reopen to vaccinated U.S. travelers earlier than expected.

Fully vaccinated U.S. travelers will be able to visit as soon as May, officials said Tuesday.

New Zealand originally said it would reopen to U.S. tourists in July. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said moving up the reopening date is meant to help accelerate the country's economic recovery.

“Closing our border was one of the first actions we took to stop COVID-19 two years ago. It did the job we needed. But now that we’re highly vaccinated and predicted to be off our Omicron peak, it’s now safe to open up,” Ardern said in a statement.

Starting May 1 at 11:59 p.m., fully vaccinated travelers from the U.S. and other non-visa countries can enter New Zealand without a quarantine period.

According to the New Zealand Government's website, travelers need "a full COVID-19 vaccine course," such as one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, to be considered fully vaccinated. A full list of the approved vaccinations can be found online.

Visitors will need to show proof of a negative pre-departure coronavirus test to enter and will be provided two free at-home rapid antigen tests upon arrival. The first test should be taken on the day of arrival and the second should be taken on day five or six.

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If a tourist tests positive and confirms the results with a PCR test, they must self-isolate.

The change was announced as the country faces a surge of COVID-19 cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says New Zealand has “very high” COVID-19 levels and warns U.S. travelers to avoid the country.

“If you must travel to New Zealand, make sure you are vaccinated and up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before travel," the agency says on its website.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz.

Puerto Rico travel restrictions: New entry requirements begin Feb. 2

Domestic travel to Puerto Rico is about to get easier, so long as you're fully vaccinated.

New entry requirements are set to take effect Wednesday and will scrap testing requirements for fully vaccinated domestic travelers. On-island restrictions also will ease, and capacity restrictions are set to lighten up across a variety of businesses.

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi announced the changes Friday, citing a drop in COVID-19 cases. Puerto Rico reported 1,727 new cases on Thursday, a fraction of the more than 14,000 daily cases it reported in early January, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

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Do I need to be fully vaccinated or test to enter Puerto Rico?

Starting Wednesday, travelers who can present proof of vaccination will no longer need to show a negative coronavirus test.

Unvaccinated travelers will still need to take a test no more than 48 hours before departure to avoid a seven-day quarantine. If they are unable to get tested before arrival, they can take a test within the first 48 hours on the island.

If a post-arrival test result comes back positive, they must quarantine for 10 days. Unvaccinated travelers who do not test before or after arrival will be subject to fines and must quarantine for seven days.

The island’s three open airports still require visitors to fill out a Travel Declaration Form before entry, and travel restrictions for international travelers visiting Puerto Rico will not change. International visitors must be fully vaccinated and show a negative antigen or PCR test taken within one day of departure.

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Changes on the island: Longer operating hours, larger events

Puerto Rico is also lifting restrictions that require businesses to close between midnight and 5 a.m. and blocks the sale of alcohol at those times.

Restaurants and other businesses that primarily serve food will be able to operate at 75% capacity indoors, up from 50%, and will be able to operate at full capacity outdoors. Bars and other venues that primarily serve alcohol will still need to operate at 50% capacity.

Customers visiting businesses that serve food or drinks will still be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative antigen or PCR test performed by an authorized health provider within the past 48 hours to enter. Masks are still required indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

People attending large-scale events will still be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test as well, but venues will be able to operate with more people. Large-scale events can exceed 250 attendees but will need to cap occupancies at 50%.

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Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz.

Travel to UK: Country to drop COVID travel restrictions March 18

The United Kingdom is set to drop all remaining COVID-19 travel measures later this week, allowing all travelers – regardless of vaccination status – to enter without a passenger locator form or negative coronavirus test.

The new travel measures will go into effect 4 a.m. on Friday, according to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

“These changes are possible due to our vaccine rollout and mean greater freedom in time for Easter,” Shapps said in a Monday tweet.

Nearly 86% of the U.K.'s population 12 and older has had two doses of a vaccine as of Sunday, according to government data.

Adult travelers from the U.S. who are not fully vaccinated must show a negative coronavirus test taken no more than two days before travel and purchase a PCR test to be taken within the first two days after arrival. All passengers, regardless of vaccination status, must fill out a passenger locator form no more than three days before their arrival.

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The country's travel restrictions are set to ease even as coronavirus case counts are rising.

More than 444,000 people in the U.K. tested positive over the last seven days, up 48% from the week prior, according to government data. Deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test were up 2% in that same timeframe, while the number of patients admitted to a hospital jumped 17%.

Heathrow Airport, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic to drop face mask requirements

Also Monday, London's Heathrow Airport announced that it would drop its face mask requirement in terminals, office buildings and rail stations on Wednesday.

"We’re pleased that we’re now able to move away from a mandatory requirement as society learns to live with COVID longer term," Heathrow Chief Operating Officer Emma Gilthorpe said in a Monday statement. "While we still recommend wearing them, we can be confident the investments we’ve made in COVID-secure measures – some of which aren’t always visible – combined with the fantastic protection provided by the vaccine will continue to keep people safe while travelling."

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic both signaled that they would begin to drop face-covering requirements in response.

Virgin Atlantic Chief Customer and Operating Officer Corneel Koster said the airline would drop its masking requirement "gradually," starting Wednesday with Caribbean services from Heathrow and Manchester airports. The company plans to continue to adhere to regulatory requirements in destination countries, and masks will still be required on "many" routes.

Koster added that travelers will need to mask up on flights to or from the U.S. through at least April 18 to comply with the Transportation Security Administration's mask mandate.

"As we learn to live with Covid and with the legal requirement to wear a face mask now removed in England, we believe our customers should have the personal choice whether to wear a mask onboard, on routes where international regulations around mask-wearing do not apply," Koster said in a statement. "We encourage everyone to be respectful of fellow passengers’ mask preferences."

Jason Mahoney, British Airways' Chief Operating Officer, said the airline will only require masks on international flights if the destination requires it starting Wednesday.

"For destinations where the wearing of a face covering is not mandated, our customers are able to make a personal choice, and we kindly request everyone respects each other’s preferences," Mahoney said in a statement.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz.