All lanes open Monday at Canada-U.S. land border, but PCR test still a drag on travel
CTV
The southbound lanes on the road to North America's post-pandemic recovery will finally reopen Monday as the United States ends nearly 20 months of controversial COVID-19 exile and allows fully vaccinated travellers to cross the Canada-U.S. land border.
As of midnight, non-essential traffic will resume moving in both directions for the first time since March 2020, when both countries imposed sweeping but selective restrictions in hopes of slowing the spread of the virus -- the first widespread border closure since the 9/11 terrorist attacks 20 years ago.
After nearly two years, however, the excitement isn't exactly palpable.
"We're on the other side of this, hopefully, but if the border were to ever close again, they really need to realize that families are essential," said Kim Patchett, who lives with her husband Barry in Saugeen Shores, Ont., west of Owen Sound on the shores of Lake Huron.
Travelling to Philadelphia to visit daughter Kaity, her American son-in-law Jesse and three-year-old granddaughter Ilsa -- a routine endeavour in the before times, costing just $80 for a tank of diesel fuel -- has been an expensive and frustrating ordeal since the restrictions were imposed.
