Families separated by the U.S.-Canada border that slammed shut in the early days of the pandemic were finally able to reunite at midnight. According to the Detroit Free Press, several families gathered at a duty-free store near the Ambassador Bridge for long-anticipated reunions. “We were all so eagerly waiting for that day,” said Asawari Kaur of Indiana, whose brother had been separated from the rest of the family for over a year. “As soon as it hits midnight, we’re gonna enter the border.” Fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents are now allowed to cross the border for non-essential trips, as long as they have no COVID-19 symptoms. Carolyn Ferroni and David Bruns of Ohio crossed the border at the stroke of midnight to visit their lake house. “It’s just part of a family culture and tradition—we go there every year,” Ferroni told the Free Press. The border closed to all but essential traffic on March 21, 2020, in the first months of the coronavirus pandemic.