CDC: some Covid home tests will be accepted for international flights to US

The news comes after President Joe Biden's announcement that the US will try to fully vaccinate at least 170 million people by July 4

Travellers walk through O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The CDC has added 16 new destinations to its Highest Risk for Covid-19 category. AP Photo

Flying to the US may have just got a little easier.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that certain home tests will meet the requirements for Covid-19 entry for international travellers.

In January, the CDC mandated that all airline passengers aged 2 or over – including US citizens – needed to provide a negative Covid test result within three days of their flight or show proof of recovery from the coronavirus to enter the country.

Those unable to do so would be denied boarding.

In an updated FAQ on its website, the CDC said that a home test must be a Sars-Cov-2 viral test – either Naat or antigen – that has emergency use authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration.

It also added that a telehealth service associated with the test manufacturer must supervise the test remotely and issue a detailed report confirming the negative test result and the person’s identity.

The news was praised by Airlines for America, a trade group, saying it would “allow FDA-approved proctored home testing for international passengers entering the US. This is an encouraging step in facilitating the international travel process."

The update comes ahead of news that US President Joe Biden is hoping to fully vaccinate at least 170 million people by July 4.

"As we've anticipated, the pace of the vaccinations is slowing now that the majority of American adults have already gotten their first shot," he said.

"Soon, we will have reached the adults most eager to be vaccinated and this effort will shift to a new phase."

About 56 per cent of US adults have received at least one dose, according to the CDC.

About 105 million adults in the US have been fully vaccinated.

The CDC defines fully vaccinated people as those who are two weeks past their final Covid-19 vaccine dose.

"The light at the end of the tunnel is actually growing brighter and brighter," Biden said.