Travelers returning from Paris on Sunday said they breezed through customs at San Francisco International Airport and did not undergo medical screening for the coronavirus — a sharp contrast from many airports across the nation that saw chaos as staff scrambled to test passengers for symptoms.
The lack of screening infuriated some passengers who feared it would spread the deadly virus and surprised those who expected a grueling odyssey through customs, only to find no lines and no wait times.
“I was expecting them to check every single one of our temperatures really diligently, to check our foreheads or something,” said Christina Shaeffer, 26, of San Francisco, who vacationed in Paris with her mother. “It was actually really quick.”
There were reports of long lines and passengers held in closed quarters — at odds with the official social distancing guidelines of 6 feet — at other airports around the country as Americans returned home after the U.S. implemented a ban on European travel; and those scenes led to harsh criticism of the Trump administration by state and local officials.
But at SFO, Shaeffer said there was no line to get through customs Sunday morning. Passengers were given a questionnaire that asked where they traveled from, what dates they arrived and if they had a cough, among other things, Shaeffer said.
“They just read it and told you to stay home for 14 days if you can,” she said.
An SFO representative declined to comment Sunday on the airport’s medical screening process and deferred questions to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC did not respond to telephone and email inquiries Sunday.
There were 421 coronavirus confirmed cases in California as of Sunday afternoon, including 236 in the Bay Area. Officials across the globe are scrambling to clamp down on a pandemic that appears to be growing by the hour.
Several international travelers told The Chronicle on Sunday that there were no waits in customs and that agents did not test them for the virus. Many people took to social media to express frustration and confusion over the lax screening polices, particularly as other airports dealt with huge crowds.
“My daughter arrived from Paris at SFO on Friday. ZERO screening, ZERO containment instructions. Same with a friend coming from Italy,” one woman said Twitter.
“Friend who just returned from Berlin to SFO. Zero screening beyond filling out a questionnaire,” another said.
After passengers from Paris filled out the questionnaire Sunday, a health official examined the forms and handed them a card suggesting they self-quarantine for two weeks. It also detailed what they should do if they start to experience symptoms.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Diana Hunt of San Francisco, who returned from Paris. “I was expecting there to be long wait times because I’d read that there were seven-hour waits in some airports.”
Tatiana Sanchez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez
2020-03-16 11:19:43Z
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/No-virus-related-delays-international-travelers-15133102.php
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