The reopening of the borders and the end of the United States restrictions for dozens of countries, after 20 months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed thousands of families to reunite with their loved ones this Monday.
At airports and the borders with Mexico or Canada, grandparents met their grandchildren, couples embraced for the first time in months and merchants eagerly awaited the revival of business with the entry of tourists and travelers.
These are some of the most emotional moments of this day of reunions:
Beatrice Mercado meets with her daughter Lilia Prado in Laredo, Texas.PU HUANG / REUTERS
“I think a lot of people have been looking forward to this day.
They see it as a light at the end of the tunnel to regain some normalcy, "Eileen Bigelow, director of the Vermont port area for the US Customs and Border Protection Office, told The Associated Press (AP) news agency.
At the beginning of 2020, the entry of travelers by air from 33 countries was prohibited and access by land from Mexico and Canada was restricted.
With suitcases, boxes and gifts, people waited to clear customs and enter the United States through the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso, Texas.PAUL RATJE / AFP via Getty Images
After a prolonged absence of visitors, in places like San Ysidro, California, retail sales fell by 75%, forcing nearly 300 businesses to close, the AP reported.
This is what the lines of cars looked like on November 7 at the border in Tijuana, Baja California.GUILLERMO ARIAS / AFP via Getty Images
Todd Gloria, mayor of San Diego, California, assured that the closure of the borders left large economic losses and an "immeasurable" breakdown of family ties.
A family awaits loved ones after the British Airways flight lands at JFK International Airport in New York.
"We miss you.
Two years, ”says the poster.EDUARDO MUNOZ / REUTERS
A couple are reunited after the arrival of a flight from Frankfurt, Germany, at Dulles International Airport, Virginia.OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP via Getty Images
In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions to contain it broke out, 28 countries in Europe, affected by the imposed regulations, accounted for 37% of foreign visitors, according to the United States Travel Association, reported AP. .
Jolly Dave, right, makes a phone call after arriving from India and meeting her boyfriend, Nirmit Shelat.Seth Wenig / AP
"I can't put into words how happy I am,"
Jolly Dave told the AP.
She flew the first flight from India to the United States and, after nine months apart, met her boyfriend Nirmit Shelat at Newark International Airport in New Jersey.
Canadian citizen Traysi Spring, right, and her American husband Tom Bakken hold a handmade sign welcoming people heading to the United States from Canada in Blaine, Washington. Elaine Thompson / AP
Upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Jill and Stephen Brownbill meet their newborn grandson Rocco for the first time.CARLOS BARRIA / REUTERS
The daily passage of residents of border cities to businesses in the United States was also affected.
Restaurants and stores suffered losses after the people who boost local economies were unable to cross from Mexico and Canada.
Marta Marques hugs her grandson, whom she has not seen in almost 2 years, near the Gateway to the Americas border crossing in Laredo, Texas.
PU YING HUANG / REUTERS
Abdul Shukoor hugs his nephews as they meet on their arrival from Brussels at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia.KEVIN LAMARQUE / REUTERS
Many long-distance couples long for reunions, but millions of people immunized with some vaccines like Sputnik V, for example, will still not be able to travel to the United States.
Natalia Abrahao and her fiance Mark Ogertsehnig at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, NJ.Seth Wenig / AP
Travelers who have completed doses of any of the vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) may enter the United States.
An official proof of vaccination against COVID-19 and a negative result of less than 72 hours, are some of the requirements for tourists.