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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — For the first time in more than 600 days, many foreign citizens can now travel to the United States, if they’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and recently tested negative.
This includes non-U.S. citizens flying in from Mexico, Canada and most of Europe.
In London this morning, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic celebrated by taking off for the United States at the same time. It is very rare to have a dual takeoff on parallel runways from London’s Heathrow airport. They were planning to land at the same time at JFK airport in New York.
Lifting of the travel restrictions means that vaccinated Canadians can once again drive across the U.S. border to Minnesota to shop or visit family and friends.
These foreign travelers haven’t been able to come to the U.S. for non-essential travel for more than 20 months. Now that restriction is over.
Our neighbors in Canada have been able to fly into the U.S. since August, but Monday the land border for drivers to come into Minnesota and all other bordering states reopens.
This is a big deal for tourism in the U.S. and businesses who rely on that tourism , but it is an even bigger deal for families who have been separated since March 2020.
WCCO spoke with a man from France, who came to Minnesota after spending a week in Winnipeg. Before the pandemic, he came to the U.S. often and said he hasn’t been here since 2019. He said the extra steps that he needed to take to get into the U.S. were worth it.
“You have to be vaccinated, but that’s the same in France, so that was OK, and you have to make a COVID test and I’m used to those, too. So that was not too difficult, just the wait was long until the border reopened, but that was not too difficult,” Manuel said.
Right now there are seven international destinations coming in and out of MSP.
For several months, just U.S. passengers were flying those routes, but MSP said those flights are a lot fuller now because of the border being reopened.
Foreign travelers are required to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of a negative COVID test within three days of travel in order to enter the U.S.
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Source: CBS Minnesota