Immigration waits at SFO are shorter than other US airports Good news for anxious passengers returning from Europe amid coronavirus fears.

An airline passenger passes by a flight information board at San Francisco International Airport Saturday, March 14, 2020, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) An airline passenger passes by a flight information board at San Francisco International Airport Saturday, March 14, 2020, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Photo: David J. Phillip / Associated Press Photo: David J. Phillip / Associated Press Image 1 of / 54 Caption Close Immigration waits at SFO are shorter than other US airports 1 / 54 Back to Gallery

The were no reports of extended waits at Customs and Immigration halls at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday afternoon, according to an airport spokesperson. Tweets from SFO's official handle point to the same good news for the large number of anxious passengers returning from Europe amid coronavirus fears.

The dreadful, dangerously crowded situation reported extensively today at other airports, such as Chicago O'Hare, does not seem to be reflective of what is happening at SFO on Saturday or today. According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 85 percent of arriving passengers were processed in less than one hour Saturday.

However, the airport warns that "the situation is fluid and changing frequently." Peak hours at customs and immigration halls usually run from 4-7 p.m. Global Entry kiosks come in handy at a time like this for those who are enrolled ($100/5 years). However, another faster option than standard screening is the Mobile Passport, which passengers can download and use immediately – read more about that here.

What is the entry experience like? According to DHS, "Upon arrival, travelers will proceed to standard customs processing. They will then continue to enhanced entry screening where the passenger will be asked about their medical history, current condition, and asked for contact information for local health authorities."

Coronavirus tests do not take place at airport immigration facilities – only health screenings.

Photo: CDC This is the CDC form given to travelers arriving at US Airports...

The information provided by SFO seems to jibe with accounts of passengers at SFO Customs and Immigration halls Saturday. Here you can read how one passenger describes his experience. The biggest change he describes is that passengers are let off arriving planes in groups of 10 to go through initial health screening.

All travelers returning from Europe receive a CDC card (image at the top of this post) with the following instructions:

Stay home for 14 days from the time you left an area with widespread, ongoing community spread (Level 3 Travel Health Notice countries) and practice social distancing.Take these steps to monitor your health and practice social distancing:

*Take your temperature with a thermometer two times a day and monitor for fever. Also watch for cough or trouble breathing.

*Stay home and avoid contact with others. Do not go to work or school for this 14-day period. Discuss your work situation with your employer before returning to work.

*Do not take public transportation, taxis, or ride-shares during the time you are practicing social distancing.

*Avoid crowded places (such as shopping centers and movie theaters) and limit your activities in public.

Keep your distance from others (about 6 feet or 2 meters).

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Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE biweekly email updates!

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