Covid 19 coronavirus: Canada opens borders to fully vaccinated travellers

People look out onto the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls as Phase 3 of Ontario's Covid-19 opening plan welcomes tourists. Photo / Peter Power, The Canadian Press via AP

Canada has announced it will begin letting fully vaccinated US citizens into Canada on August 9, and those from the rest of the world on September 7.

Officials said the 14-day quarantine requirement will be waived as of August 9 for eligible travellers who are currently residing in the United States and have received a full course of a Covid-19 vaccine approved for use in Canada.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said the US has not yet announced similar plans to lift restrictions for Canadians trying to enter via the land border for discretionary travel. Canadians are able to fly into the United States with a negative Covid-19 test.

Asked in Washington whether the US would reciprocate, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, "We are continuing to review our travel restrictions. Any decisions about resuming travel will be guided by our public health and medical experts. ... I wouldn't look at it through a reciprocal intention."

Visitors at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta. Photo / Jeff McIntosh, The Canadian Press via AP

Canadian officials also announced that children who aren't vaccinated but are travelling with vaccinated parents won't have to quarantine, but will have to avoid group activities.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra also said a ban on direct flights from India will be extended to August 21 because of the Delta variant. "The situation in India is still very serious."

Trudeau said last week that Canada could start allowing fully vaccinated Americans into the country as of mid-August for nonessential travel and should be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September.

People receiving doses of the Covid-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination clinic at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Photo / Cole Burston, The Canadian Press via AP

Trudeau noted Canada continues to lead G20 countries in vaccination rates, with approximately 80 per cent of eligible Canadians vaccinated with their first dose and over 50 per cent of those eligible fully vaccinated.

In the early days of the pandemic, the US and Canadian governments closed the more than 8800km border to nonessential traffic. With increasing vaccination rates and dropping infection rates, some were annoyed the two governments hadn't laid out plans to fully reopen the border.

Canada began easing its restrictions earlier this month, allowing fully vaccinated Canadians or permanent legal residents to return to Canada without quarantining. But among the requirements are a negative test for the virus before returning, and another once they get back.

Pressure has been mounting on Canada to continue to ease the restrictions at the border, which have been in effect since March 2020. Providing exemptions for travel into Canada amid the pandemic is politically sensitive and Trudeau is expected to call a federal election next month.

Canadian officials have said they would like 75 per cent of eligible Canadian residents to be fully vaccinated before loosening border restrictions for tourists and business travelers. The Canadian government expects to have enough vaccine delivered for 80 per cent of eligible Canadians to be fully vaccinated by the end of July. The US only allowed for exports of vaccines into Canada in early May.

A CBSA officer places a document on the windshield of a car entering arriving from the US to visit to Niagara Falls, Ontario. Photo / Peter Power, The Canadian Press via AP

Commercial traffic has gone back and forth normally between the two countries since the start of the pandemic.

The US Travel Association estimates that each month the border is closed costs $1.5 billion. Canadian officials say Canada had about 22 million foreign visitors in 2019 — about 15 million of them from the United States. - AP