Negative Covid test no longer needed to travel from Czechia to US

The first direct flights from the Czech Republic to the United States in more than two years resumed two weeks ago, and travelers headed across the Atlantic got some more good news this weekend: as of Sunday, a negative Covid test will no longer be required to enter the states.

The Czech Republic, and most other European nations, had dropped the requirement for fully-vaccinated passengers to provide a negative Covid test before travelling earlier this spring, but the United States had still required a test from travelers until this weekend.

The move was announced by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, which cited booster shots and the milder Omicron variant as reasons for dropping the requirement for passengers to provide a negative test before entering the country.

The requirement will be officially dropped at midnight tonight, meaning travelers heading to the states from Sunday, June 12, will no longer need to take a Covid test before flying.

The move is expected to lead to a rebound in tourism for U.S. travelers as well as tourists heading into the states. Interest among U.S. travelers heading to Europe had reportedly been down, as some feared that a positive test could leave them stranded in a foreign country.

The U.S. Travel Association, meanwhile, estimates that dropping the testing requirement will bring an additional 5.4 million foreign tourists into the United States through the end of the year.

“This step is possible because of the progress we’ve made in our fight against Covid-19,” United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra told the press on Friday evening. However, he added that the country “will not hesitate to reinstate a pre-departure testing requirement, if needed later.”

Tourists heading to the states must still be fully vaccinated, but citizens, residents, and those traveling for urgent reasons are exempt from this regulation.

Both the United States and the Czech Republic have also dropped the requirement for airline passengers to wear a mask, though some other European countries still require masks to be worn. Airlines may require a mask if arriving to or departing from one of these countries.