Canadian travelers, particularly retirees heading to US sunspots, flocked to the US land border on Monday to cross for the first time in 20 months, though testing requirements could curb short stay trips.
The United States first imposed a travel ban in early 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, barring access to most non-U.S. Citizens traveling from 33 countries, including China, India, and much of Europe, and restricting entry by land from Mexico and Canada.
On Monday, intercontinental flights packed landed, while the US land borders Mexico and Canada also saw families reunite.
“This entire half of my life has been missing for almost two years,” said Janet Simoni, who lives in London, Ontario and whose husband lives across the US-Canada border near Detroit, Michigan.
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They usually see each other on weekends and on vacation together but for almost two years they were apart. The two missed important milestones, including a graduation and a funeral, he said.
News of the border reopening unleashed a “tremendous pent-up demand,” said Marty Firestone, whose travel insurance agency saw a 25% increase last month compared to October 2019, in much of the birds of the snow.
“When the announcement (that the US border was being opened) came out, they said, ‘I’m leaving here.’
Most travelers must show proof of vaccination in both directions. Some states in the US also require a negative COVID-19 test. Canada requires a negative PCR test.
The PCR test requirement is deterring some short trips, such as cross-border hikers looking for Black Friday deals, Firestone said.
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On Friday, Public Health Director Theresa Tam said the testing requirement was “being actively reviewed.” The Public Health Agency of Canada did not immediately respond to questions about what might influence such a decision.
According to Statistics Canada, three-quarters of Canadian trips to the United States in 2019 were by car. That year, Canadians made 21.5 million car trips on the same day across the border.
Reference-globalnews.ca