The hastily conceived travel ban and subsequent airport screening of incoming travelers from overseas has created fiascos at U.S. airports that handle overseas flights. Passengers are jammed together, waiting for hours to receive the health screenings.
The Washington Post writes:
“But shortly after taking effect, the measures designed to prevent new infections in the United States created the exact conditions that facilitate the spread of the highly contagious virus, with throngs of people standing shoulder-to-shoulder in bottlenecks that lasted late into the night.
“AT THIS MOMENT, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARRIVING FROM NUMEROUS COUNTRIES ARE JAMMED TOGETHER IN A SINGLE SERPENTINE LINE VAGUELY SAID TO BE ‘FOR SCREENING,’” read a tweet from Tracy Sefl, who wrote that she waited for several hours to be screened at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.”
O'Hare thousands of people going nowhere. This doesn't instill confidence. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/wYNeHcGXOq
— Katy Loves Soil (@katyslittlefarm) March 14, 2020
The governor of Illinois said the Feds need to get their act together, now.
The crowds & lines O’Hare are unacceptable & need to be addressed immediately.@realDonaldTrump @VP since this is the only communication medium you pay attention to—you need to do something NOW.
These crowds are waiting to get through customs which is under federal jurisdiction
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) March 15, 2020
The situation was the same at major airports across the country. Here’s Dallas/Ft.Worth:
NBC News reports:
On Twitter the airport (O’Hare) acknowledged the crush: “Customs processing is taking longer than usual inside the Federal Inspection Services (FIS) facility owing to enhanced #COVID19 screening for passengers arriving from Europe.”
Watch WGN Chicago above.
