Canada reopens borders to vaccinated US citizens

Canada reopened its land borders on Monday to US citizens who are vaccinated with the complete schedule and present a negative test for covid-19, after 17 months with border posts closed to all trips considered non-essential.

Canada has also announced that as of September 7, the reopening will be extended to travelers from the rest of the world with the full schedule of the four vaccines allowed by the country: AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

From the early hours of Monday morning, hundreds of private vehicles from the United States were visible crossing the Rainbow International Bridge, one of the busiest border points, located in the town of Niagara Falls.

Before entering Canada, US travelers must submit their travel information, including vaccination documents and negative COVID-19 test results, using the ArriveCAN mobile app. Travelers can also submit their information 72 hours in advance through a website.

US travelers admitted to the country will no longer be required to undergo COVID-19 tests at points of entry into the country, as was required until now.

In addition, Canada expanded as of today from four to nine the number of airports in the country where aircraft from the United States can land.

In 2019, some 15 million Americans traveled to Canada, generating about C $ 11 billion (US $ 8.74 billion), a fifth of the country’s total tourism revenue.

But Canada and the United States decided in March 2020 to close their land border, which has an extension of 8,900 kilometers, to all trips considered not essential to contain the spread of covid-19, which was a serious blow to the Canadian tourism sector.

Destination Canada, the public body that promotes tourism in Canada, predicts that this year US tourists will contribute some $800 million Canadian ($636 million US) to the domestic economy.

The measures in force as of today also allow children under 12 who have not been vaccinated to enter the country without the need to quarantine if they arrive accompanied by parents with the complete vaccination schedule.

Also starting today, French citizens residing on the island of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, a French territory located in the Atlantic off the coast of the Canadian island of Newfoundland, will be able to enter Canada if they are fully vaccinated.

Last week, health authorities warned that they could recommend closing the borders again if there is an abrupt increase in COVID-19 cases in the country.

According to data from the US Johns Hopkins University, Canada registers 1.44 million cases and more than 26,000 deaths from covid-19.