U.S. State Department adds Canada to ‘Do Not Travel’ list due to COVID concerns
In the same week the U.S.-Canada border closure due to COVID-19 was extended a 13th time, the U.S. State Department added Canada to its “Do Not Travel” list.
The U.S. move to place Canada on a Level 4 Travel Health Notice was made Tuesday, April 20, and posted Wednesday on the State Department’s website.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Canada due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country,” the statement reads. “There are restrictions in place affecting U.S. citizen entry into Canada. Visit the Embassy’s COVID-19 page for more information on COVID-19 in Canada.”
U.S. travelers who decide to head to Canada are asked to:
▪ See the U.S. Embassy’s COVID-19 web page.
▪ Visit the CDC’s web page about travel and COVID-19.
▪ Be aware of their surroundings in tourist locations and crowded public venues.
▪ Follow local guidance and regulations.
▪ Monitor local media and adjust plans as necessary.
▪ Enroll in and receive emergency alerts from the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
▪ Follow the U.S. Department of state Facebook and Twitter accounts for updates.
▪ Review the Traveler’s Checklist and make contingency plans.
The provincial government in British Columbia also plans to restrict non-essential travel between three regional zones, according to a CBC story Friday, April 23.
“These measures, most importantly, can save lives. And it’s in the best interest of all British Columbians to follow them,” Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said, according to the CBC story. “There will be consequences for not following.”
The province is also working with police to enforce the measures and allow them to conduct periodic roadside checks into and out of the defined areas, which include the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and the northern and interior regions of the province. Fines for violating the order will be $575.
Earlier this month, the CDC recommended Americans avoid traveling to Canada due to increased COVID case rates and higher variant numbers, and this week’s move reinforces that advice.
On Tuesday, Canada and the U.S. announced the closure of their border, which had been scheduled to expire April 21, would be extended until at least May 21.
The U.S. and Canada first agreed to close the border to non-essential travel in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 during the opening stages of the pandemic in mid-March 2020. The closure began March 21 has since been extended on month-by-month basis 13 times.
As of Thursday, April 22, British Columbia has had 122,757 total confirmed cases and 1,550 related deaths during the pandemic, according to the province’s COVID-19 dashboard, but it has seen its highest case rates of the pandemic since late March with between 900 and 1,300 new confirmed cases per day.
As of April 7, British Columbia was reporting 878 P.1 cases, according to a CTV News story, though the article stated that the number of reported cases of variants, including the P.1 (Brazil), might be severely under-reported.
“It’s very disturbing we’re seeing such a rapid increase in P.1 while we’re on the border with British Columbia that has had a very significant P.1 outbreak,” State Epidemiologist and Acting State Health Officer Dr. Scott Lindquist said during an online briefing Wednesday, April 21, adding that though the border is closed to non-essential travel, the P.1 variant can still cross into Washington state.
On Thursday, the Washington State Department of Health reported the first confirmed case of the P.1 variant in Whatcom County.
Canada has seen more than 1.1 million cases and 23,000 related deaths, according to the John Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard.
This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 8:37 AM.
