CDC advises against travel to Canada due to COVID, as lawmakers plead for no border closure
The Centers for Disease Control Prevention is now recommending U.S. citizens avoid travel to Canada due to high COVID-19 rates north of the border.
But does that mean the border could once again be closed only months after reopening?
Canada is now listed at “Level 4: Very High Level of COVID-19” according to a CDC Traveler’s Health notice issued Monday and telling Americans to “avoid travel to Canada” and if they must travel to Canada “make sure you are fully vaccinated.”
“Because of the current situation in Canada, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants,” the CDC notice states, adding, “Travelers should follow recommendations or requirements in Canada, including wearing a mask and staying 6 feet apart from others.”
Canada was one of 81 nations listed at Level 4 by the CDC, as France, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, Aruba, Spain, Ireland and Iceland were among countries listed as “very high risk” due to COVID.
The CDC also has issued Level 3 advisories for unvaccinated Americans to avoid 55 countries, including Mexico and Australia.
Despite the CDC warning, Homeland Security has not said anything about closing the border with our neighbors to the north, and a contingent of U.S. lawmakers from New York wants to make sure that continues.
On Thursday, Jan. 6, U.S. Reps. Brian Higgins and Chris Jacobs and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand sent a letter to President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas pleading that they keep the status quo. Higgins posted the letter on his Twitter account.
“We write to urge you to work with Canada to keep the northern border open to vaccinated individuals, even as the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 raises new challenges,” the letter reads. “This is necessary to protect the economic livelihood of New York businesses and to ensure we are not placing additional burdens on our supply chains.”
The U.S. and Canada each closed their borders to what was deemed non-essential travel during the early stages of the pandemic in March 2020 in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Though trade and other “essential” travel was allowed to continue, the New York lawmakers’ estimated it cost the U.S. economy $1.5 billion each month “non-essential” travel into the U.S. was restricted.
That ended up being more than 21 months, as the U.S. did not begin to allow vaccinated Canadians to cross for “non-essential” reasons until Nov. 8, 2021 — three months after Canada began allowing “non-essential” travel.
“Vaccines work and provide the best opportunity to end this pandemic,” the New York lawmakers’ letter reads. “Canada has a high rate of vaccination with over 76% its general population fully vaccinated with both doses. We must recognize vaccine efficacy and follow the public health data.
“There should not be additional restrictions placed on non-essential travel for fully vaccinated Americans and Canadians and all ports of entry on the northern border must remain open.”
Canadians issue warning
With numbers starting to rise last month, Canada announced in mid-December that it would again require all Canadian travelers, even those making short trips for shopping or to see family, to be tested for COVID for re-entry.
That has become increasingly difficult for Canadian citizens to do, according to a story by the CBC, due to a shortage of testing on the U.S. side of the border caused by a high volume of testing demand due to increasing case numbers on this side of the border.
That prompted some Canadian officials to warn travelers to plan ahead, including expecting the unexpected, such as being forced to find a hotel while they await test results.
“What we coach people on is if they’re going to travel is to try and have backup plans and be prepared,” Windsor West Member of Parliament Brian Masse told the CBC.
Trucking vaccine mandate
Beginning Saturday, Jan. 15, Canada will begin mandating that international truckers entering Canada from the U.S. show proof of vaccination, according to a Newsweek story. A week later, a similar mandate will go into place for southbound Canadian drivers.
While unvaccinated American truckers will be turned back, Canadian truckers will be allowed to cross without proof of vaccination, but they will be required to complete a 14-day quarantine, according to Newsweek.
According to a Reuter’s story on the mandate, that could force between 5% and 10% of cross-border drivers (as many as 16,000) off the roads, which has caused industry groups and opponents to plea with the Canadian government that the mandate could further hamper supply chains impacted by the pandemic.
“There are serious consequences to the supply chain if this policy remains in place,” Member of Parliament and the Conservatives transport critic Melissa Lantsman told CBC in a story about the pending mandate. “I don’t quite understand how (the Liberals) haven’t given Canadians and the industry the assurances they need that this doesn’t get worse.”
The Canadian Trucking Alliance estimates that 70% of the $650 billion U.S.-Canada trade moves by truck, according to the CBC story.
This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 12:16 PM.
