US-Canada border restrictions prolonged till July 21 – KIRO 7 Information Seattle

The border restrictions on non-essential travel with the United States will be extended through July 21, officials said Friday as Canada works to fully vaccinate a higher percentage of Canadians.

Public Security Secretary Bill Blair said the move was made in coordination with the US. There are increasing calls in the US to open the Canada-US border to non-essential travel such as tourism, but fewer than 20% of Canadians are fully vaccinated.

“We are still seeing cases across the country and we want to get rid of them,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “At the same time, we also know that we need to meet our goals of 75% vaccination with the first dose and at least 20% vaccination with the second dose before we can start easing because even a fully vaccinated person can get COVID-19 on someone who is not vaccinated. “

Trudeau said they need to ensure communities that fully vaccinated travelers return to are not at risk.

“While they are protected from hospitalization, the people around them may not be,” Trudeau said.

The ban on unnecessary travel across the Canada-US border was announced in March 2020 and has been extended every month since then.

Even some provinces in Canada remain closed to each other. Ontario and Quebec only allowed non-essential travel between the two provinces this week. And Atlantic Canada will be closed to Canadians from other countries until July.

The government expects enough vaccine to be delivered by the end of July for 80% of eligible Canadians to be fully vaccinated.

Approximately 70% of eligible Canadians have received at least one dose of vaccine, and the second dose will be increased this month and next. Canada delayed giving a second dose to give more people a level of protection faster with the first dose, and the country waited for more deliveries.

Canada did not start sourcing US-made vaccines until May, as the US did not allow exports until then. Until then, Canada had largely obtained vaccines from Europe.

Blair noted that the government plans to release details on Monday about fully vaccinated Canadians returning to the country. The Trudeau government has announced that fully vaccinated Canadian citizens who test negative for COVID-19 will be released from two weeks of quarantine when they return to the country in early July.

Trudeau said the government plans to have Canadians upload proof of vaccination to an app so border officials can check if someone is fully vaccinated this summer.

Two US Congressmen who jointly chair the Canada-US Interparliamentary Group criticized the extension. West New York Democrat Brian Higgins and Republican Bill Huizenga of Michigan condemned the lack of transparency in the border talks between Canada and the US as a disservice to residents on both sides of the border waiting to see their loved ones and renew business relationships.

Canada’s Chamber of Commerce president Perrin Beatty said policy should be based on whether a traveler is vaccinated, not nationality. He noted that France now allows Canadians and Americans to visit, which makes it easier to travel abroad than within that country and to our closest neighbor. “What the government is doing goes against science, business and good public order,” said Beatty.

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