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Photos: International travelers make their journey to the U.S. as borders reopen

Families are reunited as the U.S. border opens for the first time since March 2020

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November 8, 2021 at 2:18 p.m. EST
Lorena Hernandez hugs her daughter, Oralia Perez, for the first time since March 2020 in El Paso. (Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters)
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After 20 months, the U.S. border is once again open. On Monday, the land and air border reopened to international travelers from 33 countries who have proof of vaccination and a recent negative coronavirus test.

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Around the world, families, couples and friends boarded planes for the United States to reunite after months of separation. The U.S. travel industry is also preparing for an “onslaught" of visitors, and even American travelers may feel the increase in demand in travel prices.

The border reopening also follows grim milestones that serve as a reminder that the pandemic is not over: More than 5 million people have died globally, and 250 million coronavirus cases have been reported.

But today was a bright spot for travelers. Here are scenes from airports as international visitors made their journey to the United States.

Annabelle Timsit, Rachel Pannett and Lateshia Beachum contributed to this report.

Coronavirus: What you need to know

Where do things stand? See the latest covid numbers in the U.S. and across the world. In the U.S., pandemic trends have shifted and now White people are more likely to die from covid than Black people.

The state of public health: Conservative and libertarian forces have defanged much of the nation’s public health system through legislation and litigation as the world staggers into the fourth year of covid.

Grief and the pandemic: A Washington Post reporter covered the coronavirus — and then endured the death of her mother from covid-19. She offers a window into grief and resilience.

Would we shut down again? What will the United States do the next time a deadly virus comes knocking on the door?

Vaccines: The CDC recommends that everyone age 5 and older get an updated covid booster shot. New federal data shows adults who received the updated shots cut their risk of being hospitalized with covid-19 by 50 percent. Here’s guidance on when you should get the omicron booster and how vaccine efficacy could be affected by your prior infections.

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