White House: CDC to end COVID-19 test requirement for those flying into U.S.

June 10 (UPI) -- A White House official said on Friday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will end a requirement for air travelers before entering the United States to be tested for the coronavirus.

The need for testing will end at midnight Sunday, an administration source told CNN. Kevin Munoz, assistant White House secretary, said on Twitter that the CDC will "evaluate its need based on the science and in context of circulating variants."

Munoz said President Joe Biden is still leading the way to "work on effective vaccines and treatments critical to this."

Less than two weeks ago, leaders of the Airlines for America and the U.S. Travel Association met with White House officials to push them to end the requirement they called outdated.

"Despite the countless studies affirming that the hospital-grade air onboard aircraft is some of the cleanest available and the significant increase in vaccination rates, the administration continues to hold air travel to a standard different than land border crossings," Airlines for America president Nicholas E. Calio said, according to NBC News.

The COVID-19 pandemic still presents come challenges. The World Health Organization said that while cases are down globally, poorer nations still have low vaccination rates and a lack of testing remains.