Travellers must provide proof of vaccination and a negative test taken three days prior to travel, said Jeff Zients, head of the White House's Covid-19 pandemic combat team, during a virtual press conference.

Passengers who meet these requirements are not even required to quarantine, Zients said.

Travel restrictions, which had been in place since March 2020, were being criticised by European partners, where vaccination levels are higher than in the United States.

The US government will also require airlines to collect contact information from international travellers, to make it easier to track possible cases of contagion, explained Zients.