The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has lifted some of the restrictions previously placed on international travelers entering the United States.

Effective today, international travelers will no longer be screened for COVID-19, as less than 15 out of the 675,000 screened up to this point have tested positive. According to the CDC, “symptom-based screening has limited effectiveness,” acknowledging that passengers could indeed pass the testing and continue to spread the virus while being asymptomatic. Going forward, the CDC will shift “to more effective mitigation efforts that focus on the individual passenger.”

The restriction that limited international arrivals to only certain airports has been lifted effective today as well. Previously, international travelers arriving to the U.S. had to do so via one of fifteen specific airports: Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Atlanta, New York JFK, Miami, Los Angeles, Washington-Dulles, Newark, Seattle, or San Francisco.

The lifting of the rules regarding COVID-19 screening applies to both international travelers and U.S. citizens returning to the country.

Source: Travel + Leisure