US lifts pandemic travel ban, opens doors to visitors

By JOHN LEICESTER and TRAVIS LOLLER
Associated Press

CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT, France (AP) — The U.S. is lifting restrictions on travel from a long list of countries including Mexico, Canada and most of Europe, allowing tourists to make long-delayed trips and family members to reconnect with loved ones after more than a year and a half apart because of the pandemic. COVID-19 has upended lives in many ways including through restrictions on travel. That has been felt acutely by those living near U.S. borders, where traveling back and forth was a way of life. Many others who live outside of the U.S. have missed out on important family milestones because of the restrictions. New rules go into effect Monday that allow nonessential travel across America’s land borders for vaccinated visitors. They also allow air travel from a series of countries from which it has been restricted.