As U.S. prepares to reopen border, some urge Canada to relax testing requirement
CBC
This item is part of Watching Washington, a regular dispatch from CBC News correspondents reporting on U.S. politics and developments that affect Canadians.
The U.S. is about to reopen its land border with Canada to non-essential travel. And it won't require visitors to show a negative COVID-19 test; proof of vaccination will suffice.
Cue the calls for Canada to apply the same standard.
Members of the U.S. Congress are expected to send letters to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of Parliament asking Canada to drop the testing requirement for vaccinated travellers.
The hassle of getting tested will discourage people from taking advantage of the restored right to cross-border travel, said one member of Congress.
New York Rep. Brian Higgins, a Democrat, said proof of vaccination should be enough.
"Testing is redundant," he said Wednesday, one day after the U.S. confirmed it will reopen the border early next month.