Border travel restrictions extended as B.C. now dealing with rise in COVID-19 cases
Border restrictions have once again been extended, which means Whatcom County will have gone through the spring and summer without seeing non-essential Canadian travelers.
CTV News and other Canadian media are reporting that the ban on non-essential travelers during the COVID-19 pandemic will continue until at least Sept. 21. This is the fifth time the ban has been extended. Commercial trade and essential workers are exempt from the restriction.
The travel restriction continues to hurt Whatcom County retailers, which see peak cross-border travel numbers in the summer. In 2018 Canadians spent an estimated $140 million in this area, representing 11.5% of Whatcom’s taxable retail sales, according to research done by the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University.
Canadians are concerned that Americans would spread COVID-19 in their country, which had been relatively under control this summer. However, British Columbia is now experiencing a rise in cases and potentially a second wave of the virus. CBC reported on Thursday, Aug. 13, that the COVID-19 curve is now climbing at a higher rate than in March.
On Thursday B.C. had 78 new cases, up from the single digits it was reporting daily between May through July. There were times during the summer when Whatcom County had more daily cases than the entire B.C. province, which has a population of more than 5 million.
This story was originally published August 14, 2020 at 10:45 AM.
