US travel industry groups urge government to drop face masks and pre-departure testing

US travel industry groups, in a letter to White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha, called (08-Apr-2022) for the removal of pre-departure COVID-19 testing and face mask requirements for air travel. Airlines for America (A4A), American Hotel and Lodging Association, US Chamber of Commerce and the US Travel Association stated the measures are imposing "significant costs" on the travelling public, airlines and the US travel and tourism industries. The letter added COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths have been falling since Jan-2022, with new case numbers stabilising. [more - original PR]