On Monday, travel restrictions at the Mexican border will ease to allow fully vaccinated travelers to enter the United States for such nonessential activities as tourism and family visits.
Residents and businesses on both sides of the border heaved a sigh of relief at the announcement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security last month. The restrictions were first imposed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening comes just as the holiday season ramps up, which could boost shopping — and might portend long waits in line.
Here are answers to some basic questions about the reopening.
Wendy Fry has covered Tijuana, greater Baja California and border issues at The San Diego Union-Tribune. She worked at the newspaper from 2009 to 2012, and worked at NBC San Diego from 2013 to 2018 before returning to the paper. Wendy won SPJ’s Sol Price Award for Responsible Journalism in 2012 for her coverage of corruption at the Sweetwater schools, and she won the Grand Golden Watchdog Award from the San Diego County Taxpayers Association in 2017.