Families reunite as U.S. lifts COVID-19 international travel restrictions

On Monday, the U.S/ lifted its COVID-19 international travel restrictions for the first time in 20 months resulting in massive gatherings at America’s borders The travel ban left families separated and caused the loss of hundreds of billions of dollars in tourism revenue. 

Fully vaccinated travelers can enter the U.S. again as long as they show proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flights, according to the new CDC guidelines. 

Travelers have to be vaccinated with any of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) approved vaccines, including AstraZeneca and Sinovac, which are rarely used in the U.S. Travelers under 18 are exempt from vaccine requirements.

In March 2020, the Trump administration banned citizens from most of Europe, China, U.K., Ireland, South Africa, India, Iran and Brazil, among others, from entering the United States. Other nationalities that were not banned from entering but had been in those countries within the last 14 days were also denied entry. Land crossing from Mexico and Canada was also suspended. 

As the U.S. lifted the travel ban for these countries, thousands of people flocked to the United States to see family members and loved ones. 

On Monday, lines began forming at the Canada and Mexico borders before daybreak. Hundreds of European and U.K. travelers boarded flights from London Heathrow. Janet Simoni, a Canadian citizen, crossed the border as soon as she could to reunite with her husband who lives in Detroit. "This whole half of my life has been missing for almost two years," said Simoni.

“You can make daily calls, stay connected by FaceTime, but you want to experience her fingers, her touch, her kiss,” said a man waiting for his girlfriend who he hadn’t seen in more than a year.

A 28-year-old student living in Miami waited for her parents to fly in from Sao Paulo, Brazil for them to meet her son. They had not seen each other since the pandemic started. 

The tourism industry is also eagerly awaiting this influx of visitors. The travel restrictions cost the industry over $300 billion, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Large numbers of visitors are expected in popular destinations, such as New York and Los Angeles. 

Airlines and hotels have seen an increase in international bookings, showing how eager international travelers are to visit the U.S., according to the New York Times. Delta Airlines has seen a 450 percent increase in international bookings. 

"Today America is open for business. That is our message to the world," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told Reuters in an interview.