Restrictions easing in US, Europe

TALLAHASSEE (AP) – Air travel in the US hit its highest mark since COVID-19 took hold more than 13 months ago, while European Union officials are proposing to ease restrictions on visitors to the continent as the vaccine sends new cases and deaths tumbling in more affluent countries.

In the US, the average number of new cases per day fell below 50,000 for the first time since October. And nearly 1.67 million people were screened at US airport checkpoints on Sunday, according to the Transportation Security Administration, the highest number since mid-March of last year.

Las Vegas is bustling again after casino capacity limits were raised Saturday to 80 percent and personto-person distancing was dropped to three feet.

EU officials also announced a proposal Monday to relax restrictions on travel to the 27-nation bloc this summer, though the final decision is up to its member countries.

In Greece, restaurants and cafes reopened their terraces on Monday after six months of shutdown. In France, high schools reopened and a ban on domestic travel was lifted.

The once hard-hit Czech Republic, where cases are now declining, announced it will allow people to remove face coverings at all outdoor spaces starting next Monday.

But in Germany, Bavarian officials canceled Oktoberfest for a second year in a row because of the safety risks. The beer-drinking festivities typically attract about six million visitors from around the world.