A rush of international travelers is headed into the United States Monday as the COVID-19 travel ban ended at midnight Eastern time and people from dozens of countries begin flooding in, more than 600 days since they were barred from entry.
That’s more than 86 weeks. Nearly 20 months. Enough time for grandchildren to be born, or for couples to lose track of the number of nights they fell asleep to FaceTime calls with their partner. Long enough to lose hope in a U.S. vacation or honeymoon after having to delay plans over and over.
Lines began forming at the Canada and Mexico borders well before daybreak, and eager travelers boarded flights from Europe, including dueling departures from London’s Heathrow airport. The U.S.-Mexico border is typically the world’s busiest border crossing, with about 350 million people crossing annually.
The new U.S. entry requirements require foreign air passengers to test negative for the coronavirus before boarding a plane to the country and, if they are 18 or older, show proof of full vaccination. Travelers entering the U.S. on land or by ferry for nonessential reasons must show proof of vaccination. Although federal officials had warned of the potential for long lines at entry points, there seemed to be few delays as visitors arrived by land and air.
It’s a long-awaited moment for travelers from more than 30 countries. The U.S. initiated its first COVID-19-related travel ban on China in February 2020. By the end of March, it had added travel bans on the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iran and 26 countries in the European Schengen Area. Brazil, India and South Africa were later added to the list.
Changes affect most air travelers
Arriving in Atlanta from Korea, Seongbin Woo, 26, said his travel experience for his first U.S. visit was “not that smooth,” largely because he had to rush to get test results back before departing Seoul. Although Korean nationals were not banned from travel to the U.S., anyone arriving as of Monday must follow new protocols, including showing proof of vaccination.
“I heard that everyone here is not wearing masks, so it’s good for me because I am tired of masks,” he said. He added he is still concerned about getting sick.
Ivana Pedroso, 30, tearily reunited with her parents as they arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Pedroso lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she’s a graduate student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She had been able to visit Brazil several times, but this is the first time her parents will see the house she bought.
“It’s great. Exciting. I have been waiting for this moment for two years because she doesn’t know my house,” Pedroso said. “They don’t know where I live. So I’ve been waiting for this moment for two years.”
Pedroso said her parents will stay for her graduation in December, on a trip they’ve been rescheduling for two frustrating years. Her parents said the flights and border control checks went smoothly, and they were confident they would be safe.
“She was a little bit nervous, but since they followed the protocols and all the companies, Delta Airlines and the airport followed the protocols with COVID, everything was OK,” Pedroso said of her mom. “Sanitizers and masks all the time. They’re good.”
Scattered delays
Julien Yomtov of Paris said he faced several frustrating delays leaving France – first at security and then again when the plane’s departure was delayed an hour. He said he’s excited to get back to Las Vegas, traveling via Los Angeles, to play in the World Series of Poker, which he normally does annually with his brother.
“The experience was stressful because the employees are (not) ready to welcome so many travelers,” he told USA TODAY via Whatsapp. “Hope in LAX it will be easier.”
Although Hartsfield-Jackson Atltanta International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, the international terminal’s arrival hall on Monday, which was almost tranquil and relatively empty through early afternoon. Many fellow passengers made connections to other cities, and those who made Atlanta their final destination described their trips as smooth and even “better than before.”
First published in USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2021/11/08/us-travel-ban-requirements-international-tourists/6303811001/