The U.S.-Canada Border Is Finally Reopening

Vaccinated and hoping to visit our northern neighbors? Canadian officials announced this week that the U.S.-Canada border reopening will happen on August 9, for inoculated Americans with a negative coronavirus test. This news comes after over one year of restricted travel between the two countries.

United States citizens and permanent residents who have received both doses of an approved coronavirus vaccine will be the first non-essential international travelers permitted to re-enter Canada, before the country reopens to all vaccinated international travelers in September. These new rules apply to travelers arriving by land and air. 

“As of September 7th, fully-vaccinated people from any country can come into Canada for non-essential travel,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted after the announcement was made. “As a first step, fully-vaccinated Americans can do the same starting August 9th. At every step, the safety of Canadians will continue to be our top priority.”

Fully vaccinated travelers to Canada must prove their inoculation and present a negative molecular coronavirus test taken within the past 72 hours. However, those travelers will no longer be required to test after arrival in Canada, though some travelers will be randomly selected to do so. Canadian airports are also continuing to require masks, according to the announcement, and many places in Canada are still enforcing mask mandates. Unvaccinated travelers will still not permitted to enter Canada.

As part of Canada’s border reopening on August 9, fully vaccinated American travelers must carry with them a paper or digital copy of their CDC-issued vaccine certificate, according to the announcement, and must submit their info to the ArriveCAN health app or website prior to boarding their flight or arriving at the border. Unvaccinated children under age 12 are permitted to enter with a fully vaccinated adult. Approved vaccines include the Pfizer, Moderna, Astrazeneca, and Johnson & Johnson shots; travelers must be at least two weeks out from their final dose of the vaccine. About 70 percent of Canadians have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

In case of a positive test, all visitors “must still present a suitable quarantine plan, and be prepared to quarantine, should they not meet all of the conditions required to be exempt from quarantine,” the Canadian government said in its announcement. (Visitors will be asked upon arrival about their quarantine plan, which must allow for a 14-day stay in isolation; visitors can assess their quarantine plan here, and whether it is “suitable,” using an interactive quiz.) “They will also be required to follow public health measures in place, such as monitoring for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, wearing a mask when in public and keeping a copy of their vaccination documentation and test results—as well as a list of close contacts and locations visited—for 14 days after entry to Canada.”

The Biden administration has not yet clarified if land-border measures for Canadians will likewise change to allow ground entry to the United States. The U.S. still requires coronavirus tests for entry of all travelers, and Canadians can currently permitted to enter the United States only by air with a negative test result in hand.

We’re reporting on how COVID-19 impacts travel on a daily basis. Find our latest coronavirus coverage here, or visit our complete guide to COVID-19 and travel.

Video: Canada To Reopen Borders For Fully Vaccinated Travelers (CBS New York)

  • a group of people looking at the camera

    NYPD Officer Opens Up About Using Potato Chip Bag To Save Man's Life

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • graphical user interface

    BOE Certifies Results Of NYC 2021 Primary Election

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • Anthony S. Fauci in a suit and tie

    Top Health Experts Testify On Capitol Hill About COVID-19 Cases

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • a group of people standing in front of a building

    Onlookers Gather In Times Square To Watch Blue Origin Space Flight

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • 1,500-Pound Bull Loose On Long Island

    1,500-Pound Bull Loose On Long Island

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • a view of a mountain

    Smoke From Massive Wildfires In Western U.S. Blanket New York, New Jersey Is Thick Haze

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • map

    Western Wildfires Prompt Air Quality Alert

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • text

    De Blasio Pushes MTA For Congestion Pricing

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • graphical user interface

    Mask Debate Rages As COVID Cases Climb

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • a group of people standing in front of a building

    Crowd Gathers In Times Square To Watch Bezos Space Flight

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • graphical user interface

    Mayor De Blasio's Tuesday Briefing

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • a blue bus parked on the side of a road

    MTA Delays Fare Increase Again

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • a person riding a bicycle on a city street

    NYC Lawmakers Divided Over Mask Rules

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • Video Shows Teen Shot In Queens

    Video Shows Teen Shot In Queens

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • a man standing in front of a screen

    Assemblywoman Says Victim Of Subway Attack Has Died

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • graphical user interface, website

    Frustrated Travelers Say They Were Stranded At Airports Across The Country

    CBS New York Logo

    CBS New York

  • a group of people looking at the camera
    NYPD Officer Opens Up About Using Potato Chip Bag To Save Man's Life
    A quick-thinking NYPD officer used a lunchtime snack and some creativity to save a man's life earlier this month. He talked about the rescue for the first time Tuesday; CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas reports.

    CBS New York Logo
    CBS New York

  • graphical user interface
    BOE Certifies Results Of NYC 2021 Primary Election
    The Board of Elections has certified the results of New York City's 2021 primary.

    CBS New York Logo
    CBS New York

  • Anthony S. Fauci in a suit and tie
    Top Health Experts Testify On Capitol Hill About COVID-19 Cases
    Mayor Bill de Blasio says he's looking at all options in order to get more New Yorkers vaccinated. This comes as the government's top health experts testified on Capitol Hill about rising COVID-19 cases; CBS2's Dick Brennan reports.

    CBS New York Logo
    CBS New York

UP NEXT
Source: Read Full Article