U.S. expects delays Monday when COVID-19 travel restriction lifts,
official says
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[November 06, 2021]
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States is
preparing for long lines and delays on Monday when restrictions are
lifted on non-U.S. citizen international travelers who are fully
vaccinated against the coronavirus, a senior official told Reuters on
Friday.
President Joe Biden's administration "expects pent-up demand for travel,
which means longer than normal wait times for travelers," the official
said. The government was boosting staffing to pre-pandemic levels but
"long lines are expected in the initial days."
The United States on Monday is lifting travel restrictions for fully
vaccinated air travelers from 33 countries and at its land borders with
Mexico and Canada, ending the historic entry bans to address the spread
of COVID-19 for much of the world's population.
The official said land border traffic has been about 70% of 2019 levels
on the Southwest border and 30% of 2019 levels on the Northern border.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection "will continue to adjust its
resources to meet traffic workload demands and ensure operational
security, while balancing its trade facilitation and national security
mission," the official said. Travelers should familiarize themselves
with the new guidelines and have their documentation ready in advance,
the official said.
Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Ed Bastian has also said travelers
should be prepared for long lines initially from Monday.
"It's going to be a bit sloppy at first. I can assure you, there will be
lines unfortunately ... but we'll get it sorted out," Bastian said.
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A U.S. flag is reflected on the floor as passengers make their way
through Reagan National Airport in Washington, U.S., July 1, 2016.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo/File Photo
Delta said in the six weeks since the U.S reopening
was announced it has had a 450% increase in international
point-of-sale bookings.
United Airlines is expecting about 50% more total international
inbound passengers Monday compared to Nov. 1 when it had about
20,000.
The Biden administration has held multiple calls with U.S. airlines
to prepare for the influx of additional travelers who will begin
arriving at the country's airports.
The restrictions, put in place in early 2020 during the pandemic,
barred most non-U.S. citizens who within the last 14 days had been
in any of 33 countries - the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without
border controls, China, India, South Africa, Iran, Brazil, Britain
and Ireland.
Also on Monday, new contact tracing rules will take effect requiring
airlines to collect information from international air passengers if
needed "to follow up with travelers who have been exposed to
COVID-19 variants or other pathogens."
(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Chris Reese and Grant
McCool)
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