The White House announced the end of Covid-19 vaccine requirements for travellers to the United States and government employees in the world’s largest economy.
“We are announcing that the administration will end the Covid-19 vaccine requirements for federal employees, federal contractors, and international air travellers at the end of the day on May 11, the same day that the Covid-19 public health emergency ends,” a statement said, reports RTE.
More than a million people are said to have died from Covid-19 in the United States.
However, the White House noted that the pandemic had almost stopped, prompting the government to lift restrictions dating back to when the disease was ravaging entire communities and forcing an economic shutdown.
“Since January 2021, Covid-19 deaths have declined by 95% and hospitalisations are down nearly 91%. Globally, Covid-19 deaths are at their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic,” the statement said, reports RTE.
According to the White House, “vaccine requirements bolstered vaccination across the nation, and our broader vaccination campaign has saved millions of lives”, reports RTE.
While the practice of many countries requiring proof of Covid vaccination for foreigners boarding the US is a practice in many countries, domestic government vaccination regulations have sometimes fueled domestic political tensions.
In addition to lifting vaccination requirements, US President Joe Biden announced in April that he was officially declaring an end to the national health emergency that had underpinned a series of extraordinary government actions for more than three years.
This included funding free Covid-19 tests and vaccines across the country, reports RTE.
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