(8 Nov 2021) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4352164
The U.S. fully reopened its borders with Mexico and Canada on Monday and lifted restrictions on travel that covered most of Europe, setting the stage for emotional reunions nearly two years in the making and providing a boost for the travel industry decimated by the pandemic.
The restrictions, among the most severe in U.S. history, kept families apart, including spouses who have not been able to hug in months, grandparents whose grandchildren doubled in age since they last saw them, and uncles and aunts who have not met nieces and nephews who are now toddlers.
Lines moved quickly Monday morning at San Diego's border with Mexico, the busiest crossing in the United States, despite the added checks for vaccinations required to enter the country.
The new rules also allow air travel from a series of countries from which it has been restricted since the early days of the pandemic, as long as the traveler has proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test.
American citizens and permanent residents were always allowed to enter the U.S., but the travel bans grounded tourists, thwarted business travelers and often sepated families.
Airlines are preparing for a surge in activity after the pandemic and resulting restrictions caused international travel to plunge.
On the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada, where traveling back and forth was a way of life before the pandemic, the change meant another step toward normalcy.
Malls, restaurants and Main Street shops in U.S. border towns have been devastated by the lack of visitors from Mexico.
On the boundary with Canada, cross-border hockey rivalries that were community traditions were upended. Churches that had members on both sides of the border are hoping to welcome parishioners they haven't seen in nearly two years.
The U.S. will accept travelers who have been fully vaccinated with any of the shots approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization, not just those in use in the U.S.
That's a relief for many in Canada, where the AstraZeneca vaccine is widely used.
But millions of people around the world who were vaccinated with Russia's Sputnik V, China's CanSino or others not OK'd by the WHO won't be able to travel to the US.
The moves come as the U.S. has seen its COVID-19 outlook improve dramatically in recent weeks since the summer delta surge that pushed hospitals to the brink in many locations.
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