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Canada to Reopen Border with US to Fully Vaccinated Travelers

Craig McCulloch

   VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Canadian officials announcedthatfully
   vaccinated American citizens and permanent residentscanenterCanada for
   what is being called "discretionary travel"beginningAugust9.

   Those wanting to cross the 8,891-kilometerborder by land or air into
   Canada will have to arrive asymptomaticandprovide proof of full
   vaccinationas well asa negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of
   arrival.

   The required documentation must be uploaded to the ArriveCAN app ahead
   of the trip, and travelers will need to have the paper version
   physically available.

   Canada's easing ofentryrestrictions will extend to travelers fromall
   other countries startingSeptember7, with identical requirements.

   The U.S.-Canada border has been closed to nonessential travel since
   March of last year. Canadians, however,have been able to fly into the
   United States withonlya negative COVID-19 test.
   Laurie Trautman, Director of the Border Policy Research Institute at
   Western Washington University in Bellingham. (Photo courtesy of Laurie
   Trautman)

   Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at
   Western Washington University in Bellingham, is not surprisedby
   Ottawa'sdecision.

   "I think thatis a natural next step to allow Americans coming from the
   United States to Canada who are fully vaccinated for any trip purpose
   to be exempt," Trautman said.

   "SoI'mglad to seethere'sa date. I'm glad to see there's a plan."

   For Goldy Hyder,president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada,
   theannouncementis good for commerce -- and people's outlook on both
   sides of the border.
   Goldy Hyder, President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada

   "When you think about it, what we have been through as human beings
   over the last 16-17 months or so is not natural, and what's natural for
   people is to interact with each other," Hyder said.

   "To celebrate events, to mourn events, to,you know, meet our
   customers,to take vacations--all ofthese things are part of being a
   human being. And those are the things that we sacrificed for the last
   16-17 months."

   Perrin Beatty, thepresident and CEO ofthe Canadian Chamber of
   Commerce,welcomes the reopening, particularly for the tourism sector
   and other businesses that rely on cross-border travel with the United
   States.
   Perrin Beatty, the President and CEO of The Canadian Chamber of
   Commerce

   One concern he has going forwardis potential delays atthe borderfor
   checking health documents.

   "And the government is going to need to look for ways of speeding that
   up," Beatty said. "Otherwise, we'll have massive traffic jams with
   people trying to cross the border at peak times. And that's why it's so
   important for us to have digital secure vaccination certification."

   Beatty also saidthe Canadian government should eliminate the
   requirement to have a negative COVID-19 test.

   In making the announcements at a virtual press conference, Canadian
   Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair said he talked with U.S.Homeland
   Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the changes.

   Blair saidthe current restrictions that expire on the 21st of July are
   expected to continue for travelers going by land into the United
   States.
   Bill Blair, Canadian Minister of Public Safety (Courtesy: Government of
   Canada)

   "They are obviously considering additional measures anddata," Blair
   said. "But at the present time, they have not indicated a plan to make
   any changes in their current border restrictions that are in place."

   Residents of the French islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon will also
   be allowed into Canada for nonessential travel on Aug.9.

   Earlier,the Canadian government shortened the ban on cruise ships
   docking in the country to Nov. 1, four months earlier than it
   originally planned.

   The Canada Border Services Agency staffs 117 legal crossing points
   along the Canada-U.S.border and 13international airports.

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