The United States is preparing for long lines and delays on Monday when restrictions are lifted on non-UScitizen international travellers who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, a senior official told Reuters.

President Joe Biden's administration “expects pent-up demand for travel, which means longer than normal wait times for travellers,” the official said. The government was boosting staffing to pre-pandemic levels but “long lines are expected in the initial days.”

The United States on Monday is lifting travel restrictions for fully vaccinated air travellers from 33 countries and at its land borders with Mexico and Canada, ending the historic entry bans to address the spread of Covid-19 for much of the world's population.