Page 37 - AHATA

A2 UP FRONT
Monday 16 March 2020

European arrivals jam some U.S. airports amid virus screenings

By TERRY SPENCER and TE- President Donald Trump
RESA CRAWFORD defended the administra-
Associated Press tion's actions in a tweet
CHICAGO (AP) — Harsh crit- Sunday.
icism rained on the Trump "We are doing very precise
administration Sunday from Medical Screenings at our
state and local officials airports. Pardon the inter-
over long lines of returning ruptions and delays, we
international passengers are moving as quickly as
at some U.S. airports that possible, but it is very im-
could have turned them portant that we be vigilant
into coronavirus carriers as and careful.
they tried to get home. We must get it right. Safety
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and first!" he wrote.
Chicago Mayor Lori Light- Acting Customs and Border
foot, both Democrats, lam- Patrol Commissioner Mark
basted the administration Morgan said in a written
for allowing about 3,000 statement Sunday that the
Americans returning from agency is making improve-
Europe to be stuck for hours ments to its procedures, but
inside the customs area at that it must "balance our
O'Hare International Air- efficiencies with ensuring
port on Saturday, violating the health and safety of all
federal recommendations American citizens through
from the Centers for Dis- enhanced medical screen-
ease Control and Preven- Passengers arrive on a flight from Germany at Logan International Airport in Boston, Friday, March, ing."
tion that people practice 13, 2020. Katy Rogers spent four
"social distancing." Associated Press hours Saturday at O'Hare
The passengers, many of in a tightly packed space
them rushing home be- reported short lines at cus- ceedingly long lines, con- ceptable & I'm working with students, a basketball
cause of fears they would toms Saturday and Sunday. gregating in concourses hard to get it fixed." He team, musicians and older
be stuck in Europe, were For most people, the new and putting themselves said he had contacted the people in wheelchairs.
screened by federal cus- coronavirus causes only and their loved ones at head of Homeland Secu- "Everybody was nervous
toms and homeland se- mild or moderate symp- greater risk of exposure," rity, acting Secretary Chad about it," she said Sunday.
curity agents for coronavi- toms, such as fever and Lightfoot said. Passengers Wolf. Continued on next page
rus symptoms before they cough. For some, especial- Sunday will likely be kept
were allowed to leave the ly older adults and people on their planes to manage
airport. with existing health prob- the flow into the customs
Long lines also formed Sat- lems, it can cause more se- area, she said.
urday in Boston, Dallas and vere illness, including pneu- But Pritzker predicted Sun-
others of the 13 airports that monia. The vast majority of day would "be even worse"
are accepting return flights people recover. on NBC's "Meet the Press."
from Europe. Lightfoot singled out Vice He said that the administra-
"People were forced into President Mike Pence and tion should have bolstered
conditions that are against his coronavirus task force staffing at the receiving air-
CDC guidance and are to- for not talking with local ports in anticipation of long
tally unacceptable," Light- officials before implement- lines. But instead, he said,
foot said. ing the screening program. passengers "were stuck
Conditions were better State and local officials in a small area, hundreds
Sunday, but lines could could have offered "con- and hundreds of people,
again grow as the day pro- crete suggestions" for how and that's exactly what
gresses and more flights the program could have you don't want in this pan-
arrive. Not every U.S. air- been implemented with demic."
port accepting European the least disruption, she Texas Gov. Greg Abbot,
arrivals experienced over- said, but the administration a Republican and strong
crowding. Airports serving acted unilaterally. supporter of the president,
Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles "Thousands of travelers tweeted Sunday that the
and Newark, New Jersey, were forced to wait in ex- lines in Dallas were "unac-