US drops COVID-19 testing requirement for international travellers

The United States will no longer require international travellers to have proof of a negative Covid-19 test before entering the country.

A senior administration official and a US Center For Disease Control and Prevention official said they were dropping the requirement due to the "tremendous progress" the country had made in the fight against coronavirus.

The change comes into effect on Sunday, June 12.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will re-evaluate the policy in 90 days.

The administration said it would "not hesitate to act" to reinstate the rule should new variants make officials believe it is necessary.

"We are able to take this step because of the tremendous progress we've made in our fight against the virus: We have made lifesaving vaccines and treatments widely available and these tools are working to prevent serious illness and death, and are effective against the prevalent variants circulating in the US and around the world," a senior official told reporters.