White House official doesn’t rule out requiring COVID-19 vaccines or tests for domestic flights

• A White House official hinted vaccination or testing rules could be needed for domestic air travel.
• “We’re not taking any measures off the table,” the COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said.
• Zients was answering a question on whether some measures have been ruled out for domestic flights.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

COVID-19 vaccination or testing mandates could one day be needed for domestic air travel in the United States, a White House official hinted Friday.

“Overall, I think we have a very strong track record that shows we’re pulling available levers to acquire vaccinations and we’re not taking any measures off the table,” White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said during a virtual press briefing.

Zients made the remarks in response to a reporter’s question about whether COVID-19 vaccination or test requirements have been ruled out by the White House for domestic flights.

A day earlier President Joe Biden unveiled sweeping actions and measures to get millions more Americans vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The president’s new policies include mandates to require all federal employees to get vaccinated and a rule that will require all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workers are vaccinated or tested weekly for the virus.

Additionally, under Biden’s plan, fines will double for travelers who violate the TSA mask mandates covering air travel and some modes of public transportation.

“As to travel we’re taking further action, as you know, to double the fines for non-compliance of masking on airlines,” said Zients.

The new vaccination requirements, Zients said, will “help make employees, workplaces, and communities safer and help accelerate our path out of pandemic.”