The US is reopening its borders on November 8 to fully vaccinated visitors, ending a 20-month entry ban.
The ban was imposed by former President Donald Trump due to Covid-19.
It has affected non-US citizens from over 30 countries, including the UK and EU states, separating families and stalling tourism.
Airlines are expecting a flood of visitors as the restrictions are lifted for those who are fully vaccinated, and undergo testing and contact tracing.
In an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus, US borders were initially closed to travelers from China in early 2020. The restrictions were then extended to other countries.
The rules barred entry to most non-US citizens who had been in the UK and a number of other European countries, as well as China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil.
Under the new rules, foreign travelers will need to show proof of vaccination before flying, get a negative Covid-19 test result within three days of traveling, and hand over their contact information. They will not have to quarantine.
The US land borders with neighbors Canada and Mexico will also reopen for the fully vaccinated.
Thousands of migrants have arrived in areas along Mexico’s border with the US, hoping to take advantage of the newly-relaxed rules.
In southern Mexico, a new caravan of thousands of mainly Central American migrants – many of them children – has crossed from Chiapas to Oaxaca state, with the ultimate aim of reaching the border and being accepted into the US.
The Migrant Alliance Group, a Mexico-based advocacy group, has warned that false information is being spread about the new rules in some communities – with many asylum seekers assuming that they will now receive more favorable treatment from border officials.
Businesses in cities along the border with Mexico are hoping for a boost after struggling under America’s Covid-induced restrictions.
United Airlines says it expects a 50% rise in international inbound passengers, while Delta’s chief executive Ed Bastian warned travelers to expect queues.
The EU recommended allowing American travelers into the bloc in June, while visitors from the US have been able to travel to the UK since July 28.
New restrictions aimed at curbing coronavirus have been introduced in New York City after Mayor Bill de Blasio warned it was the city’s “last chance” to stop a second wave.
Bars, restaurants and gyms must close by 22:00 and people can only meet in groups of 10 or less.
On November 11, the US is seeing a surge in coronavirus with a record 65,368 Americans being in hospital.
The Covid Tracking Project also reported a record 144,270 new cases.
An average of over 900 people a day are now dying with the disease.
More than a million new cases in November pushed the total confirmed cases to over 10 million nationally, with 233,080 deaths so far.
The US has been seeing more than 100,000 new cases per day over the last eight days in what experts say may be a worse outbreak than those seen in the spring and summer.
According to experts, hospitals across the country could soon be overwhelmed.
On November 11, Dr. Michael Osterhol, a member of President-elect Joe Biden’s Covid-19 advisory panel, said a four to six week lockdown could bring the pandemic under control.
Dr. Osterholm said that the government could borrow enough money to cover lost income for businesses during a shutdown.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also said: “We’re seeing a national and global Covid surge, and New York is a ship on the Covid tide.”
New measures come into effect on November 13 affecting hospitality after Governor Cuomo said contact tracing identified late-night gatherings as key virus spreaders in the state.
If the rate of spread of infection continued to rise, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the New York City’s public school system would close and children would begin online classes.
The mayor tweeted: “This is our last chance to stop a second wave. We can do it, but we have to act now.”
According to NYC’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the city was badly hit by the virus earlier this year when nearly 18,000 people died with Covid-19 in March, April and May.
Other states have broken new case records this week with Texas becoming the first state to hit one million total cases on November 10. If Texas were a separate country, it would rank 11th in the world for most cases.
Other states, including Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, California and Florida, have also seen numbers rise. CBS News reports 15 states saw the numbers of patients in hospital due to the virus double in the last month.
Some hospitals, such as in Idaho and Missouri, have had to turn patients away because they ran out of room.
Americans have packed beaches and lakes for Memorial Day weekend, often flouting restrictions imposed to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
In Florida, state police dispersed an unauthorized gathering of hundreds of people in Daytona Beach on May 23.
In Missouri, bars at the Lake of the Ozarks were packed with revelers, who violated social-distancing rules.
Image source: nps.gov
Coronavirus task force chief Dr. Deborah Birx said she was “very concerned” after seeing such scenes.
Dr. Birx said on ABC’s This Week on May 24: “We really want to be clear all the time that social distancing is absolutely critical. And if you can’t social distance and you’re outside, you must wear a mask.”
St Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said: “It’s irresponsible and dangerous to engage in such high risk behavior just to have some fun over the extended holiday weekend.
“Now, these folks will be going home to S. Louis and counties across Missouri and the Midwest, raising concerns about the potential of more positive cases, hospitalizations, and tragically, deaths. Deeply disturbing.”
In Tampa area, Florida, the crowds were so big that authorities closed parking lots because they were full, the Associated Press reports.
In California, big crowds were seen enjoying beaches over the weekend. State officials said most people were covering their faces and keeping their distance on beaches and parks.
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer.
The US has more coronavirus cases than anywhere in the world. It has over 1.6 million known infection and is nearing 100,000 deaths linked to the virus.
All 50 US states have now partially reopened after a two-month shutdown. However, remaining restrictions vary across the country.
Wide discrepancies also remain between states in terms of infection rates and the pace of their economic restart.
Some of the hardest-hit states, including New Jersey, New York and Washington are now showing the sharpest declines, while majority of states have reached plateaus.
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