LONG queues of returning international passengers at some US airports have prompted harsh criticism of the Trump administration.
State and local officials are concerned that the queues could have turned travellers into coronavirus carriers as they tried to get home.
Illinois governor JB Pritzker and Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, both Democrats, lambasted the administration for allowing about 3000 Americans returning from Europe to be stuck for hours inside the customs area at O’Hare International Airport on Saturday, violating federal recommendations that people practice “social distance”.
The passengers, many of them rushing home because of fears they would be stuck in Europe, were screened by federal customs and homeland security agents for coronavirus symptoms before they were allowed to leave the airport.
Long queues also formed on Saturday in Boston, Dallas and other cities. Only 13 US airports are accepting return flights from Europe. Conditions were better yesterday, but it was feared queues could grow again as the day progressed and more flights arrived.
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“People were forced into conditions that are against guidance and are totally unacceptable,” Lightfoot said. She singled out vice president Mike Pence and his coronavirus task force for not talking with local officials before implementing the screening programme. She said state and local officials could have offered “concrete suggestions” for how it could have been implemented with the least disruption, but the administration acted unilaterally.
Pritzker said staffing at the receiving airports should have been bolstered in anticipation of long queues. Instead, he said, passengers “were stuck in a small area, hundreds and hundreds of people, and that’s exactly what you don’t want in this pandemic”.
Texas governor Greg Abbott, a Republican and strong supporter of the president, tweeted that the queues in Dallas were “unacceptable & I’m working hard to get it fixed”.
He said he had contacted the head of homeland security, acting secretary Chad Wolf.
President Donald Trump defended the administration’s actions in a tweet yesterday. “We are doing very precise medical screenings at our airports,” he wrote. “Pardon the interruptions and delays, we are moving as quickly as possible, but it is very important that we be vigilant and careful. We must get it right. Safety first!”
Acting Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Mark Morgan said in a written statement that the agency was making improvements to its procedures, but that it must “balance our efficiencies with ensuring the health and safety of all American citizens through enhanced medical screening”.
Travellers from restricted countries in Europe, China and Iran are being advised to self-quarantine for 14 days after reaching their final destination in the US.
The death toll in the United States has climbed to 61, while infections near 3000.
Meanwhile, the governors of Illinois and Ohio confirmed yesterday that their states’ presidential primaries would continue as scheduled tomorrow, amid the continuing outbreak.
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