We need a concrete border reopening plan that can be released immediately.
At the time of this writing, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Canada and the United States is going full steam ahead. Within a few months, close to 200 million doses have been administered in both countries, and more than 35 per cent and 48 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated in Canada and the United States, respectively.
Not to mention infection rates are decreasing exponentially in both countries, and all other COVID indicators are currently pointing in the right direction. For all intents and purposes, it surely seems like we are “turning the corner” after a year and a half of this pandemic.
Despite these positive developments, the closure of the Canada-U.S. border has been extended for another month. The initial decision to halt all “non-essential” travel from the United States in March 2020 was the right thing to do, as the pandemic was obviously being mishandled by the previous administration in the United States, and COVID-19 cases were increasing at an alarming rate.
The free flow of people, resources and goods between Canada and the United States is the cornerstone of the relationship between the two countries.
The decision was applauded by Canadians and understood by Americans. It helped break the chain of transmission, and protect lives in both countries at the time. That said, after sixteen months it is quite shocking that the Trudeau government has not released any concrete plan to safely and gradually reopen the border, as vaccination rates are rapidly increasing and cases have decreased significantly in both countries.
The free flow of people, resources and goods between Canada and the United States is the cornerstone of the relationship between the two countries. The longest undefended land border (8,891 km) in the world is the envy of other nations across the globe, and has been the source of economic prosperity for decades for both countries.
Many businesses in the tourism, hospitality and accommodation sectors have made significant sacrifices to protect all Canadians, and the timely reopening of the border could ensure they survive this unprecedented crisis.
Rumour has it that the Biden administration has made reopening the border a priority since taking office in January this year, and the reticence seems to be on the Canadian side of the fence.
The Trudeau government recently announced some relaxations of the quarantine rules, whereas fully vaccinated Canadians will no longer have to quarantine upon return to Canada. That said, for pre-departure and upon arrival, COVID-19 testing requirements remain in place.
While this is a step in the right direction towards the full reopening of the border, it is simply not enough. Non essential travel between the two countries is still restricted, and fully vaccinated Americans are still not allowed to enter Canada for non-essential purposes. This begs the question, what is the difference between a fully-vaccinated Canadian and a fully-vaccinated American?
It is also worth noting that the travel restrictions between the two countries are also highly inconsistent depending on the mode of transportation. Wealthier Canadians, who can afford to purchase a plane ticket, can freely fly to the United States with little to no restrictions on arrival. Whereas, non-essential travel is still prohibited at the land border.
The current inconsistent application of these travel restrictions adds insult to injury for businesses that are dependent on travel between Canada and the United States, and who have seen their thriving businesses crushed by the pandemic.
Vaccines have been boasted as our way out of this pandemic. Therefore, it is time to safely and gradually reopen the border, at least for fully-vaccinated Canadians and Americans.
It is now time for a phased reopening of the border. Businesses can no longer afford to wait. We need a concrete border reopening plan to be released immediately. The very economic recovery of Canada and the United States post-COVID depends on it.
