Canada may ease some border requirements that could boost cross-border travel
The Canadian government is thinking about dropping the testing requirements for its citizens coming back into the country, which could mean more cross-border traffic in Whatcom County.
The CBC reported on Friday, Feb. 11, that the Canadian federal government is close to removing mandatory PCR testing for fully vaccinated Canadians who travel outside Canada, possibly making an announcement next week. Currently, Canadians need to have a negative molecular test for COVID-19 taken within 72 hours of arriving at a border crossing.
The report did not address how long Americans would continue to be required to have a negative test before entering Canada.
If the testing restriction is lifted for Canadians, it will make it easier to cross into Whatcom County, particularly for shopping and vacations. Traffic volumes have been sluggish throughout 2022 at the Lynden, Sumas and two Blaine border crossings, according to data from Cascadia Gateway Data website. At all four crossings the average is under 5,000 passenger vehicles a day going both north and south, about half as much as in December when non-essential travel restrictions were first lifted by Canada.
The CBC report noted that officials think the changing aspects of the virus, particularly with the omicron variant, as well as the cost of the tests made testing a wasted expense.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, cross-border traffic into Whatcom County played a significant role in the local economy. According to a report done by the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University, Canadians spent $140 million in this area in 2018, which represented 11.5% of Whatcom’s taxable retail sales.
The report estimates that Blaine received about $24.6 million from Canadian shoppers, which is more than Lynden, Sumas, Birch Bay and Ferndale combined. Bellingham received $107.8 million from Canadian shoppers.
As the pandemic took hold in March 2020 the border was closed to nonessential travelers. The U.S. and Canada began easing some restrictions in November and December 2021.
This story was originally published February 11, 2022 at 3:38 PM.
