Although Canada will start welcoming fully vaccinated Americans into the country on August 9, the U.S. is keeping the land borders closed to non-essential travel until at least August 21.
According to a notice published in the U.S. Federal Register, the government says opening the land border to non-essential travel still poses a high risk.
“Given the outbreak and continued transmission and spread of COVID-19 within the United States and globally, the Secretary has determined that the risk of continued transmission and spread of the virus associated with COVID-19 between the United States and Canada poses an ongoing specific threat to human life or national interests,” reads the document.
In response to the U.S. government’s decision, Congressman Brian Higgins released the following statement:
“For months now, people and businesses along the border have been strung along month after month holding out hope for the border to re-open. Today’s decision by the Biden administration harms economic recovery and hurts families across America’s northern border; this is completely unnecessary,” says Higgins. “While the U.S. does nothing, loved ones remain separated and communities whose economies rely on the cross-border exchange continue to suffer economically. Continuation of this shutdown is illogical given the success of vaccines and counterproductive putting the U.S. at a disadvantage given Canada’s decision to welcome back vaccinated Americans effective August 9th.”
Currently, the announcement doesn’t apply to air, freight rail or sea travel between the U.S. and Canada.
