France to Fort Myers: Woman finds way around travel ban to get home

FORT MYERS, Fla. – After months of making an attempt to come back to america, a French resident has made her approach again to her trip house in Fort Myers. The journey ban stopping her from coming hasn’t been lifted — she simply discovered one other option to make it work.

ABC7 first spoke with Muriel Sasia final November. Sasia hasn’t been again to Southwest Florida since March 2020, proper earlier than COVID-19 turned a pandemic and the world modified.

“I got here in February to attend a medical convention in Naples. I flew again March 5 and we have been below lockdown ten days afterward in France,” she mentioned.

Due to the pandemic, many nations have closed their borders. Anybody who has been in sure areas 14 days previous to getting into the U.S. isn’t allowed in, with certain exceptions. That features the European Schengen space, which France is a part of.

For many vacationers, the solely approach round these guidelines includes going to a different nation for 2 weeks earlier than coming to the U.S. –  one which doesn’t have these restrictions. 

So, that’s precisely what Sasia did. On Could 10, she flew from France to Zurich, then to the Dominican Republic.

“So I’ve been spending a few weeks in Punta Cana, which isn’t unhealthy, I’m not complaining, however that wasn’t my plan,” mentioned Sasia.

After a two-week layover there, she was on her option to Florida, touchdown in Fort Lauderdale. 

“I needed to do it, however I used to be prepared for immigration to inform me no ma’am return,” she mentioned.

When Sasia touched down, it was time to place her plan to the take a look at. 

She made it previous the primary immigration checkpoint on the airport. When she needed to undergo customs, issues received somewhat nerve-wracking. 

“They dragged me to those rooms, particular rooms for particular check-ins. The man mentioned immediately ‘when did you allow France?’ I mentioned on the tenth he mentioned you’re good,” Sasia mentioned.

All she needed to present was a stamp in her passport exhibiting she had been in Punta Cana for 14 days previous to getting into america.

“That was it however, woah!,” she mentioned.

Sasia is absolutely vaccinated. She introduced proof each on an app utilized in France and on paper, however she mentioned she by no means wanted to indicate both. 

“It’s not necessary, so that they mentioned ‘good for you, however we don’t want that’ ,” Sasia mentioned.

The one time Sasia wanted to indicate something that wasn’t required pre-pandemic was when she needed to present a PCR COVID-19 take a look at outcome, which was required by the Swiss authorities when she flew from Paris to Zurich.

When requested what essentially the most difficult a part of attending to Fort Myers was, Sasia mentioned it was deciding whether or not or to not do it. 

“Everyone informed me ‘you’re loopy, you’re the loopy one we all know that, you’re adventurous, you’re simply sneaking across the guidelines’ I mentioned no I’m not,”  Sasia mentioned. 

She learn rigorously via the U.S. proclamation relating to journey bans and eventually determined it was time to make the journey, though it meant an extended detour in her plans.

“It’s been too lengthy. Actually, I  thought at one level with the vaccine, they’d say okay let’s reopen borders you already know,” she mentioned.

Now, Sasia is ready to see her household and buddies who dwell in America and luxuriate in her house away from house for the primary time since earlier than the pandemic. 

“To see them, it was doable to hug. It’s great, it’s. I’m so comfortable to be right here,” Sasia mentioned.

Sasia plans to remain in Fort Myers for a month, then fly again to France. She mentioned she should cross via Punta Cana, however received’t have to remain lengthy. She is going to simply need to quarantine for a few weeks when she will get again to France.

Whereas some nations are reopening borders, others are including new restrictions.

Beginning this week, France and a number of other different nations would require British vacationers to quarantine for per week after getting into, as a result of an increase in new variant COVID-19 infections within the UK. 

Consultants mentioned Britain continues to be battling the unfold of the variant first recognized in India. Germany and Australia have additionally positioned restrictions on vacationers coming from the UK. On prime of that, France has other guidelines, together with some for American vacationers.