‘Rules are the rules’: Freeland mum on removing PCR testing for Canada border
Global News
The Canadian border is currently open to recreational travel, but only to those who can prove they've been fully vaccinated and can present a negative PCR test.
On the heels of news that the United States will reopen its border to Canadians for leisure travel, calls have grown for the Canadian government to scrap its COVID-19 testing requirement to re-enter the country.
When asked about the possibility, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland offered a reminder for Canadians: “the rules are the rules.”
The Canadian border is currently open for recreational travel, but only to Americans who can prove they’ve been fully vaccinated and can present a negative PCR test.
But boards of trade, chambers of commerce and tourism organizations in both the United States and Canada have called on the government to scrap that requirement.
Speaking in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Freeland appeared closed off to the idea — for now.
“Canadians do need a valid PCR test to go back to Canada. I had my test done to go home this afternoon,” said Freeland.
“I really believe that when it comes to finishing the fight against COVID, the Canadian approach, which has been to follow science, to follow the recommendations of public health authorities, and to err on the side of caution has served us really, really well.”
The United States is expected to open its land border for international travel in November. However, it isn’t asking prospective visitors to provide a negative test — though proof of full immunization will still be needed. Canadians will still need the test for their trip home, though. The price tag of the test from most private American companies can be up to US$200, or almost C$250.
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