WASHINGTON: The United States reopened the land and air borders Monday to foreign visitors fully vaccinated against Covid-19, ending 20 months of travel restrictions from around the world that separates families, limping tourism and strained diplomatic relations.
Ban, imposed by former president Donald Trump in early 2020 and upheld by his successor, Joe Biden, has been widely criticized and became a symbol of the turmoil caused by the pandemic.
Restriction is not particularly popular in Europe and the US neighbors Canada and Mexico.
In an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, the US border was closed after March 2020 for tourists from most of the world, including the EU, the UK and China, India and Brazil.
overland visitors from Mexico and Canada also prohibited.
The months of restrictions that affect hundreds of millions of people help fuel both personal and economic suffering brought by Covid 19th pandemic.
“It’s so hard,” Alison Henry, 63, told AFP.
“I just want to see my son.” British woman plans to fly Monday to see his son in New York, after 20 months of separation.
Families on both sides of the Atlantic excited to finally be reunited with their loved ones.
Although the trip from the USA to Europe has been possible since the summer, a US citizen certain foreign visas have no guarantee to be able to reenter the country.
To cope with the surge in demand, airlines have increased the number of transatlantic flights and plans to use a larger aircraft, as they work their way out of the crisis pandemic.
Along the border with Mexico, many cities in the US state of Texas and California have faced economic struggle due to anti-Covid trade restrictions.
Meanwhile, Canadian seniors will be able to continue their annual car trip to Florida to escape the bitter northern winter.
But the cost of the PCR test Canada who need to travel cross-border – up to $ 250 a pop – can be prohibitive.
Ann Patchett, a resident of Ontario, told the Ottawa Citizen that it costs $ 500 for her and her husband went to the south to visit family.
“Do you want to hug your kids? Do you want your grandchildren to slip into bed? …
It’s very frustrating,” he said.
New York Congress Brian Higgins, whose district touches the border of Canada and included the US side of Niagara Falls, plans to hold a press conference on Monday with the mayors of both countries to urge Canada to drop its testing requirements.
Lifting the travel ban would affect more than 30 countries.
But entry into the United States would not be totally unregulated: US authorities plan to monitor the vaccination status of tourists and they would ask them to be present Covid negative-19 test.
United States on Monday, will require air passengers to fully vaccinated and tested within three days before the trip.
The airline will be required to put the contact tracking system.
The opening of the land border will occur in two stages.
Starting Monday, the vaccine will be required for travel “non-essential” – like a family visit or tourism – although tourists are not vaccinated will still be allowed into the country to “critical” trips, as they have over the last year and a half.
The second phase, starting in early January, will require all visitors to be fully vaccinated to enter the United States by land, no matter the reason for their trip.
US health authorities said all vaccines approved by the Administration and the World Health Organization Food and Drug Administration will be accepted for entry by air.
At this time, including AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer / BioNTech, Covaxin, Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccine.
The United States has not commented on the increase in Covid-19 case in Europe.
WHO has expressed “concern” over the increasing rate of infection in Europe, warned that the current trajectory could mean “a half million Covid 19th death” in February.
But speaking for the United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Sunday on ABC that he was “optimistic about where we are,” adding: “We can not take our foot off the accelerator until we are at the finish line” but in Berlin, 51 Elisabeth year Zours ready to hit the gas – or as Mick Jagger would say, “gas, gas, gas.” A lifelong fan of Rolling Stones had to miss an event Zours St Louis by rock supergroup Covid 19th September due to restrictions and “frustrated” by the reopening of the US slow.
Now he plans to make up for lost time.
“I had tickets for four (US) concert,” he said.
“Their music,” Zours added, “is like a good friend.”