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WASHINGTON – For the first time in nearly 20 months, nonessential traffic is once again moving in both directions across the land border between Canada and the United States.
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Shortly after midnight, Customs and Border Protection agents began allowing fully vaccinated vacationers, visitors and hikers to enter the United States for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
In a statement, the US Department of Homeland Security acknowledged the new rules and warned visitors that it could take a while to approve them.
“Long lines are expected in the first days after the pent-up lawsuit, and CBP will adjust resources as necessary,” the agency said.
“Travelers are advised to wait longer than normal wait times, familiarize themselves with the new guidelines, and have the proper documentation ready during a border inspection.”
At 9 a.m. ET, passenger traffic delays at the busiest crossings between Canada and the United States were mostly just a few minutes, although the wait at the Peace Bridge between Buffalo and Niagara Falls reached more than two hours shortly after the new rules went into effect.
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However, not everyone heads south immediately.
Many Canadians with relatives living in the US say they are not queuing to cross yet, thanks in part to Canada’s requirement that they take an expensive COVID-19 test to return home.
New York Congressman Brian Higgins will join mayors and community leaders on both sides of the US-Canada border today in urging the federal government in Ottawa to drop the rule.
Canada’s chief medical officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said last week that the government is aware of the complaints about the test requirement and that it is under review.
The United States does not require foreign nationals visiting by land to present proof of a negative test, but that won’t matter much until Canada removes the rule as well, critics say.
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“There are still barriers,” said Marcella Picone, a Buffalo, New York, resident and member of the Facebook group “Families Are Essential,” which has been pushing for months for restrictions to be eased.
“Yes, the United States has done the right thing; They are not asking for a COVID test for entry to the land, so they are relaxing the restrictions. But now, obviously, Canada needs to step up and phase out its PCR testing. “
The Canada Border Services Agency issued a statement last week reminding prospective travelers that proof of a negative test, taken no more than 72 hours prior to travel, is required to re-enter Canada, along with proof of vaccination.
The spending not only discourages people from traveling, it is a counterproductive measure that does little to improve public safety, said Perrin Beatty, a former federal cabinet minister who now serves as executive director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
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“It just doesn’t make sense,” Beatty said in an interview.
He pointed to the federal government’s own rule that says if a trip to the US will last less than 72 hours, travelers can get tested in Canada before leaving and use the same results when returning to the country.
“Who is protected by that? All you do is lose money and waste people’s time. “
It also creates what Beatty calls “friction” along a border where people are supposed to be free to cross, “but where the cost and administrative hassle is so great that people just give up.”
“The friction has essentially meant that the gains that the Canadian tourism industry hoped to achieve when Canada opened its borders to people coming north never materialized.”
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New land border rules take effect as the US also begins requiring foreign nationals visiting by plane to be fully vaccinated before boarding their flights.
Starting Monday, U.S.-bound air passengers must show proof of vaccination as well as a negative COVID-19 test that is no more than 72 hours for fully immunized travelers and 24 hours for unvaccinated US citizens and permanent residents. .
The US Travel Association estimates that inbound international travel produced $ 239 billion in export revenue and directly supported 1.2 million American jobs.
“After nearly two years of restrictions, the return of international travel begins in earnest on Monday, when families and friends who have been apart for a long time can safely reunite, travelers can explore this amazing country and the US. They can reconnect with the global community, “association President Roger Dow said in a statement.
“It is a monumental day for travelers, for communities and businesses that depend on international visits, and for the US economy in general.”
The association estimates that the pandemic has cost the U.S. about $ 300 billion in lost export earnings and more than a million jobs, and travel levels are not expected to return to 2019 levels until 2024. at the earliest.
Reference-torontosun.com