Passport offices in eleven U.S. cities re-opened Thursday, marking the first step in a comeback from a lockdown that started over three months ago, but there’s a lot more to happen before anything like normal service resumes.
The offices that are opening will largely be focused on a huge backlog of pre-pandemic applications and applications filed by mail during the lockdown. Only people with life-or-death emergencies for immediate travel will be able to get appointments or bring new applications to the offices.
At the offices, they will find limited space and seating as well as strict social distancing rules, including face coverings.
In Phase Two, date not yet announce, more of the staff, and possibly more offices, will be back, but appointments will still be limited to emergency issuance. Phase Three, also with no date set yet, will see all staff return and appointments available to those who will be traveling within two weeks.
