Vaccinated Americans may be able to begin traveling to Canada in 2½ weeks, but Canadians, whether they’re vaccinated or not, will not be allowed to cross the border into the U.S. for non-essential reasons for at least another month.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday, July 21, announced that it was extending its temporary restriction prohibiting non-essential cross-border travel from Canada through at least Aug. 21.

The extension, “unless amended or rescinded prior to” 11:59 p.m. Aug. 21 according to a Department of Homeland statement published Wednesday, means the U.S. will keep its border closed with Canada for a 17th month.

“Given the outbreak and continued transmission and spread of COVID-19 within the United States and globally, the secretary has determined that the risk of continued transmission and spread of the virus associated with COVID-19 between the United States and Canada poses an ongoing ‘specific threat to human life or national interests’,” the Department of Homeland Security statement read.

The statement went on to say: “Moreover, given the sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus, coupled with risks posed by new variants, returning to previous levels of travel between the two nations places the personnel staffing land ports of entry between the United States and Canada, as well as the individuals traveling through these ports of entry, at increased risk of exposure to the virus associated with COVID-19.

“Accordingly, and consistent with the authority granted in 19 U.S.C. 1318(b)(1)(C) and (b)(2),9 I have determined that land ports of entry along the U.S.-Canada border will continue to suspend normal operations and will only allow processing for entry into the United States of those travelers engaged in ‘essential travel’.”

A Homeland Security tweet Wednesday also said concerns over the spread of the delta variant factored into the decision to extend the border closure to both Canada and Mexico.

The Homeland Security statement defined essential travel as American citizens and permanent residents returning to the U.S., those traveling for medical purposes, to attend educational institutions, those traveling for work, those traveling for emergency response or public health purposes, those traveling for cross-border trade, those involved in official government or diplomatic travel, members of the U.S. military and their families returning to the U.S.

The decision is already drawing criticism on both sides of the border.

“I am deeply disappointed in the Biden administration’s decision to unilaterally extend the Canada-U.S. border closure another month,” U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Whatcom, said in a news release Wednesday. “This action is short-sighted and devastating to our border communities. Businesses and families in Whatcom County, particularly in Point Roberts, were praying this was the month the border would reopen. Continuing the border closure all but ensures more businesses will close and more livelihoods will be destroyed along the border.”

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement Wednesday that he is “extremely disappointed” by the federal government’s decision.

“This continued closure will result in continued hardship for Washingtonians living in border communities, including in Point Roberts,” Inslee said.

“As I have expressed repeatedly in communications with the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, the time has come to at least partially reopen the U.S.-Canada border, and I will continue to advocate for relief for border communities in Washington state,” he said.

Canada will reopen border Aug. 9

The U.S. announcement comes just two days after Canada announced it would open its border on Aug. 9 to vaccinated U.S. citizens to cross for purposes deemed non-essential, and it already has brought criticism.

“Today’s decision by the Biden administration harms economic recovery and hurts families all across America’s northern border; this is completely unnecessary,” U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins of New York said in a statement Wednesday morning.

“While the United States does nothing, loved ones remain separated and communities whose economies rely on the cross-border exchange continue to suffer economically. Continuation of this shutdown is illogical given the success of vaccines and counterproductive putting the United States at a disadvantage given Canada’s decision to welcome back vaccinated Americans effective Aug. 9th.”

The U.S. and Canada decided to close their border to non-essential travel in both directions in March of 2020 during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic in an effort to limit the spread of the disease.

Since then, the two countries had unilaterally extended that closure a month at a time, but this week’s announcements effectively will make the flow of non-essential travel between the two countries a one-way street.

“American leaders across political parties have called for months for Canada to open its border,” Association of Canadian Travel Agencies President Wendy Paradis said in a story by Travel Pulse Canada. “And yet, despite Canadians having a higher vaccination rate and substantially lower transmission of COVID-19, they have refused to reciprocate and follow a science-based plan to safely open their border and support traveler mobility and an ailing travel and tourism sector.”

But on Tuesday, July 20, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it is not up to Canada to weigh in or pressure the U.S. to open its border, adding that the two countries have been “asymmetric” since the start of the pandemic.

“I think every country should and does set its own border policies,” Trudeau said, according to a CTV News story. “We have been working with the United States to keep them informed to make sure that as much as possible our choices are aligned, but you will have seen, everyone will have seen that our countries took different approaches certainly during the beginning of the pandemic.”

He later added, “Canada is not going to any more dictate what the U.S. should be doing around its border policy than we would accept the U.S. to dictate to us around our border policy.”

Border communities wait

For months, many government officials from Washington state have been calling for the U.S. to open its northern border to help communities that have economies that depend on traffic from Canada.

“I’ve been calling for a safe plan to reopen the (emojis of the U.S. and Canada flags) border & help struggling border communities,” U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Bellingham, tweeted only hours before Wednesday’s announcement. “News Canada plans to open the border to fully vaccinated U.S. residents on Aug. 9 is an important step, but there is more work to do, especially for unique places like Point Roberts.”

After Wednesday’s announcement, DelBene said it didn’t makes sense that Canadians can fly from Vancouver, B.C., to Seattle but that residents in border communities, such as White Rock, B.C., would not be allowed to drive to Blaine or Point Roberts, “putting our border communities at a significant disadvantage.”

“Canada on the other hand is showing leadership by announcing it will begin easing border restrictions for fully vaccinated Americans traveling north on Aug. 9 and providing firm benchmarks and metrics behind their decision,” DelBene continued in her statement. “It’s time for the U.S. to reopen the Canada-U.S. border.”

Before Wednesday’s announcement, Ali Hayton, the owner of the only grocery store in the U.S. enclave of Point Roberts, told CTV News that a decision by the U.S. not to match Canada’s move to allow vaccinated travel would take a situation that “what was devastating” and make it “absolutely fatal.”

“This is a frustrating and disappointing decision by the Biden administration that puts the border communities in Washington state, especially Point Roberts, in an absolutely untenable position,” U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement Wednesday. “These communities rely on cross border travel, and after more than 16 months many businesses are on the brink of shutting their doors for good, which would be absolutely devastating for these communities.

“I want to be crystal clear so that President Biden and the administration understand me: at the very least, we need an emergency exemption from these restrictions for the Point Roberts community and in fact, we needed it yesterday.”

COVID numbers update

As of Wednesday, the United States continues to have the highest number of COVID cases in the world with more than 34.1 million confirmed cases and 609,000 related deaths, according to the John Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard. Canada, meanwhile, was 25th overall with more than 1.4 million cases and 26,000 related deaths.

The U.S. is the third-most populated country in the world with more than 331 million residents, according to worldometers.info, while Canada is No. 39 with more than 37 million residents.

According to ourwordindata.org, Canada has the highest percentage of its population that is at least partially vaccinated at 70.42% and 51.50% are fully vaccinated. The U.S. is seventh and has 55.76% of its population at least partially vaccinated and 48.33% fully vaccinated.

According to the British Columbia COVID-19 dashboard on Tuesday, the province has seen 148,563 total cases during the pandemic and 1,763 confirmed deaths — an increase of 1,769 cases and 24 deaths since the last border extension was announced June 18. With a population of approximately 5.1 million, British Columbia has seen an infection rate of 34.68 cases and 0.47 deaths per 100,000 residents since June 18.

The Washington State Department of Health, meanwhile, reported 423,626 confirmed cases and 6,056 related deaths on Tuesday — an increase of 13,061 cases and 246 deaths since June 18. With a population of approximately 7.5 million, the state has averaged 174.14 cases and 3.28 deaths per 100,000 residents since June 18.

Washington state reports administering 8.0 million vaccine doses, or approximately 1.07 doses per resident, while British Columbia reports administering 6.2 million doses, or approximately 1.22 per resident.

Washington state reports more than 4.3 million residents, or 56.5% of the total population, have initiated vaccination, and more than 3.9 million residents (51.8%) have completed it. Meanwhile, British Columbia reports that more than 3.7 million residents (72.8%) have initiated vaccination and more than 2.5 million residents (49.4%) have completed it.

Canada preparing for reopening

Air Canada will offer up to 220 flights across the U.S. Canada border per day once Canada lifts its travel restrictions for vaccinated Americans, according to a flightglobal.com story Monday, July 19. The air carrier says that will include 55 routes to 34 U.S. destinations.

Despite those changes, the National Airlines Council of Canada would like to see the government open the border even more.

“As an industry, we have been calling on the government for months to provide a clear restart plan utilizing science-based measures,” National Airlines Council of Canada Chief Executive Mike McNaney told flightglobal.com. “But as the new measures take effect, we still firmly believe the government must take further steps.”

Airlines and airport staff at Vancouver (B.C.) International Airport are already scrambling to get ready for an anticipated increase in travelers after Aug. 9, according to a story by the Vancouver Sun.

The airport terminal welcomed an estimated 20,000 passengers on July 15, up from the 3,000 to 4,000 the airport was seeing before quarantine requirements were relaxed one day earlier.

“We anticipate that as of Aug. 9, we will see more travelers start to travel again, and we anticipate that level of growth,” Vancouver International Airport Vice President Robyn McVickers told the Sun. He added that the airport “will be ready.”

What if you’re not vaccinated?

To cross the border for non-essential purposes, according to a release from Destination British Columbia, fully vaccinated American travelers must:

▪ Have received their final vaccine dose at least 14 days before entering Canada.

▪ Provide proof of vaccination electronically through the ArriveCAN app before leaving for Canada.

▪ Meet pre-entry testing requirements.

▪ Have no symptoms of COVID-19.

▪ Have a paper or digital copy of the vaccination records ready to show upon request.

Those who do not meet the above criteria will not be permitted into the country.

Travelers who submit false vaccination information could face up to a $750,000 fine and six months imprisonment under the Quarantine Act, according to a release from the Canadian government.

Robert Mittendorf, rmittendorf@bhamherald, contributed to this story.

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U.S. extends border closure to Aug. 21 while Canada will allow in vaccinated Americans

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