Trudeau sees Canada border opening in August, but this has to happen first
Update Monday, July 17: Canada to reopen its border for fully vaccinated Americans starting Aug. 9; U.S. uncertain
Canada would be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement released by his office Thursday, July 15, “if our current positive path of vaccination rate and public health conditions continue.”
The transcript said he noted the ongoing discussions with the United States on reopening plans, and indicated that Canadians could expect to start allowing fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents into Canada as of mid-August for non-essential travel.
It said more details on the border-opening plans would be shared early next week.
The importance of working collaboratively on a proof of vaccination credential was also discussed.
Trudeau, speaking with provincial leaders, said “Canada continues to lead G20 countries in vaccination rates with approximately 80% of eligible Canadians vaccinated with their first dose and over 50% of eligible Canadians fully vaccinated,” according to the CBC News.
The Prime Minister was not so certain about reopening the border earlier in July.
“I can tell you right now that’s not going to happen for quite a while,” Trudeau said Thursday, July 8, according to a CTV News story.
“We need to continue to ensure that the safety of Canadians, of all the sacrifices that so many people have made over the past many, many months, are not for nothing,” he continued.
The border between the two countries has been closed to all non-essential travelers — vaccinated and unvaccinated — since March 21, 2020, as an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during the early stages of the pandemic. The initial closure was to last one month, but it has since been extended on a month-by-month basis 15 times — most recently on June 18 — and is currently set to expire July 21, according to earlier reporting in The Bellingham Herald.
Trade and other travel deemed to be essential between the two countries has been allowed throughout the pandemic.
On July 5, Canada began allowing fully vaccinated Canadian citizens arriving by land or air for essential purposes to enter with a required quarantine.
But there were no other changes for travelers who are not fully vaccinated, a release from the Canada Border Services Agency states, as they are still subject to a mandatory three-day stay in a hotel if they fly into the county, a 14-day quarantine and three required COVID tests. All tourism, even for those who are fully vaccinated, also is still banned at this time.
Washington calls for reopening
“I was pleased to hear the Canadian prime minister say they ‘could’ let fully vaccinated Americans cross the border for non-essential travel as soon as mid-August,” Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee said Friday, July 16, in prepared remarks released by his office. “I have had many calls with the premier of British Columbia over the last year, who has been very helpful, and I will continue to advocate to see this done. We need to get this border open to fully vaccinated people not just for Americans going to Canada but for Canadians to come to America as well.”
“Our border communities and the Point Roberts economy particularly need to be able to welcome back Canadians,” Inslee said. “These communities are intimately connected to their neighbors across the border. My office will continue to communicate with the Canadian and the U.S. federal governments to get some resolution to this.”
U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene posted on Facebook that Trudeau’s statement was promising.
“Reopening the Canadian border to fully vaccinated Americans will help Point Roberts and our border communities start to build back from the pandemic,” she posted. “The U.S. must do the same.”
A number of politicians, including Inslee and DelBene, have written letters calling for the two sides to work together to find a way to safely reopen the border.
On Friday, July 9, Inslee told The Herald that he is working with DelBene, whose district includes part of Whatcom County, and the U.S. State Department to ease border restrictions between the U.S. and Canada.
“We’ve got a full-court press going from both governments,” Inslee said in Ferndale, before he led a group of elected leaders to Point Roberts. ”We’ve got to get this border open. We certainly can do it for vaccinated people right now.”
“I’m going there to listen and also to help them now to begin economic recovery,” State Rep. Alicia Rule, a 42nd District Democrat from Blaine, told The Herald about the trip to Point Roberts. “This is the role of government. We have to make sure that (the pandemic border closure) doesn’t destroy our local economy.”
According to the British Columbia COVID-19 dashboard on Thursday, the province has seen 148,286 total cases during the pandemic and 1,761 confirmed deaths.
The Washington State Department of Health, meanwhile, reported 420,21 confirmed cases and 6,036 related deaths on Thursday.
Washington state reports administering nearly 7.9 million vaccine doses, while British Columbia reports administering 5.9 million doses.
This story was originally published July 15, 2021 at 7:50 PM.
