Canada’s travel industry lauds U.S. move to allow travellers with mixed COVID-19 doses
Global News
The announcement is good news for more than 3.9 million Canadians the federal government says received a mixed-dose regimen.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention capped off a whirlwind week of developments for North American travel on Friday, announcing that the U.S. would accept fully vaccinated travellers from Canada and Mexico who had received two doses from mixed vaccines once its land borders reopen in November.
The announcement is good news for more than 3.9 million Canadians, who the federal government says received a mixed-dose regimen against COVID-19.
As of November, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated Canadian and Mexican travellers with “any combination” of two doses of a vaccine approved either by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization will be “considered fully vaccinated.”
This includes Canadians who may have been immunized with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has been approved by WHO despite not being authorized for emergency use by the FDA.
“Reopening to international visitors will provide a jolt to the economy and accelerate the return of travel-related jobs that were lost due to travel restrictions,” said Roger Dow, U.S. Travel Association president and CEO, in a statement.
“We applaud the administration for recognizing the value of international travel to our economy and our country, and for working to safely reopen our borders and reconnect America to the world.”
The move marks a step forward for tourism between Canada and the U.S., but American officials have urged the federal government to ease COVID-19 test requirements to cross Canadian borders. Travellers looking to enter the U.S. can do so with a rapid antigen test, which can see same-day results.
Rep. Brian Higgins, who represents New York’s 26th congressional district, previously told the Canadian Press that he would like to see the federal government do away with its molecular PCR COVID-19 test requirement, which costs travellers roughly $200 on average.