Calls for U.S. to reopen land border to vaccinated Canadians grow louder
CBC
Politicians in both Canada and the United States are pushing the Biden administration to reopen the U.S. land border to fully vaccinated Canadian travellers.
Canadians have not been allowed to cross the land border to the U.S. since March 2020 except for essential purposes. The emergency measure was extended last month and will remain in effect until at least Oct. 21.
The ongoing closure means the Canada-U.S. border has operated under two different sets of rules since late summer, when Ottawa began allowing fully vaccinated U.S. travellers to enter Canada, even for non-essential purposes.
"Canada recognized the powerful protection the vaccines offer and opened their border to all fully vaccinated Americans in August," says a joint statement by U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins and MP Randy Hoback.
"The United States must follow the science and do the same."
Hoback is the Conservative MP for Prince Albert. Higgins, a Democrat, represents New York's 26th congressional district, which includes Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
The U.S. border policy has been criticized as inconsistent because the U.S. has allowed Canadians to enter by air for leisure purposes through most of the pandemic — even before vaccines were available.