Canada to drop testing requirement for those making short trips into Whatcom County
UPDATE: Canada officially announced changes to its border testing requirements on Friday, Nov. 19.
Cross-border shopping in Whatcom County could start picking up again as Canada begins relaxing its border testing requirements.
According to CTV News in Canada, the Canadian federal government will begin lifting the PCR test requirement for COVID-19 for fully vaccinated travelers returning to Canada after short trips.
It was not clear when this border requirement change will happen, but CTV did say that those who stay in the U.S. longer than 72 hours will still need to take the test before returning to Canada. Global News is reporting that a formal announcement is expected later this week, with the relaxed rules on testing for short trips expected to start at the end of November or early December.
That’s good news for Whatcom County retailers who relied on those short day shopping trips from Canadian visitors before the pandemic, which took hold in March 2020. The pandemic resulted in the border being closed to nonessential travelers, a restriction that was lifted on Monday, Nov. 8.
“It is certainly a good step in the right direction,” said Guy Occhiogrosso, president, and CEO of the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce. He’s hoping that at some point the Canadian policy matches the U.S. policy, which only requires proof of vaccination for land border crossings.
U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, from District 1 that includes Whatcom County, called news of the potential move “a huge win for our border communities” in a tweet Wednesday.
“The testing requirement has been a major barrier for vaxed Canadians traveling to the U.S. & would strengthen the partnership between our two countries,” DelBene wrote.
The testing requirement has had a dramatic impact on dampening cross-border travel in the first week of fewer restrictions. Along with the logistics of getting a test within the 72-hour of crossing the border, it cost more than $100 for travelers to take the test.
That cost prevented many Canadians to come down solely for shopping, although some did find it worth it to pay for the test in order to visit families, friends and to check on property, Occhiogrosso said.
One Canadian border restriction that will continue to dampen cross-border shopping is the rule for unvaccinated children, said Laurie Trautman, director at Western Washington University’s Border Policy Research Institute. The restrictions currently in place have unvaccinated children required to self-isolation for 14 days upon returning to Canada from the U.S., which would mean missing a significant amount of school or daycare.
This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 9:52 AM.
