air travel

The Chinese government has sharply criticized COVID-19 testing requirements being imposed on visitors from China and threatening countermeasures against countries involved.

The U.S., Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Italy have announced testing requirements for passengers from China.

In announcing the step, the CDC pointed to the surge in COVID-19 cases in China. The measure will go into effect on Jan. 5 for all passengers over the age of 2.

Listen: The "What's Health Got to Do With It?" panel takes a closer look at in-fight medical emergencies and how to prevent them.

Mayor Jerry Demings says rolling back the testing requirement is good news for the local economy, especially the hospitality sector.

A senior administration official said the mandate expires Sunday at 12:01 a.m. EDT, saying the CDC has determined that it’s no longer necessary.

Interviews for the poll were conducted last Thursday to Monday, shortly before a federal judge in Florida struck down the national mask mandate on airplanes and mass transit.

The CDC continues to assess public health conditions, and if the agency determines a mandate is necessary, the Justice Department will file an appeal.

TSA says it will no longer enforce the mandate after a Tampa-based judge's ruling. It didn't take long for major airlines to switch to a mask-optional policy, with some passengers cheering when the change was announced midfight.

The decision was made in response to the increasing spread of the omicron subvariant and an increase in the seven-day moving average of cases, which have risen by around 25% over the last two weeks.