Costly COVID testing kept Washington businesses calm on day one of land border reopening

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When the US reopened its border crossings to doubly vaccinated Canadians on Monday, community leaders from both countries stepped up calls for Ottawa to remove its requirement for an expensive COVID-19 test for those entering or returning to Canada.

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The open border meant lines of vehicles heading south for a couple of hours Monday morning, but the crossings were quiet for the rest of the day, and American businesses said they didn’t see many Canadians in stores or in the roads.

The requirement for a molecular test to detect the presence of a virus, also called a polymerase chain reaction or PCR test that costs between $ 150 and $ 300 for anyone entering Canada, was most of the blame.

“If someone wants to take a day trip and pay $ 200 to cross the border and travel to Bellingham for a sandwich and a tank of gas, it will be expensive,” said Blaine Coun. Richard May, who also works at the Blaine Chamber of Commerce.

“For big things like family reunions and other trips where people are going to stay long enough, they can probably justify paying, but it’s not as open and normal as the headlines suggest,” he said.

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“I haven’t seen any (Canadians) in Blaine yet,” said Gury Gill, whose family owns a Shell gas station. “If I were Canadian, I would really think about (paying for the PCR test). Many of the Canadians in the (border) alignments travel (further) south, like snowbirds. “

A roadside camera at the Arco de la Paz junction showed a small line of cars starting around 5 a.m. on Monday. It peaked between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., before falling into a single occasional car for the rest of the day.

By mid-afternoon Monday, there was a trickle of cars, with a few large RVs mixed in, and they headed straight for the border kiosks.

Most of the brief morning rush at Peace Arch Duty Free consisted of snowbirds, director Reginald Raju said.

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But “it wasn’t even close to 50 percent of a normal day,” he said.

“It’s wonderful, it really is great,” said Rebecca Kostiuk from Ottawa, who was stopping at duty free to buy some Kinder Surprise treats and came before visiting her sister and family in Bellingham, her first visit in three years.

“It is worth seeing her and the children in her own home rather than having to come visit (me in Ottawa),” she said.

Raju questioned the need for a PCR test at the border, especially since Canadians making short trips of less than 72 hours can use the result of a test done while still in Canada.

The Surrey Board of Trade is hopeful for change because federal public health official Dr. Theresa Tam said the requirement for a PCR will be reexamined, board chair Anita Huberman said in a statement.

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At a cost of $ 150 to $ 300 for each person tested, the process is expensive, especially for families, said Guy Ochiogrosso, director of the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce.

There was no immediate rush to Point Roberts, the US enclave where Canadians own 75 percent of homes as vacation spots.

“I’d say after going to the Marketplace and driving, I probably talked to 12 Canadians,” said Brian Calder, executive director of the Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s disappointing because we’re totally reliant on Canadians,” he said, but understands that the CRP test requirement doesn’t make day trips worthwhile.

Of the people he spoke to Monday, four had undergone PCR testing in Richmond and planned to return in 72 hours.

“The phones have been very busy today,” said Kevin Liew, owner of COVID Travel Vancouver, which offers PCR testing. “There is more demand.”

He said “it’s important to keep people safe” through testing, but he doesn’t see a reason to have a test in Canada and return within 72 hours.

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