According to the CBC the Canada / U.S. border will remain closed to non-essential travel for yet another month, extending the current measures through at least October 21, 2020.
Most foreign visitors are still not allowed to enter Canada and a 14-day quarantine requirement is imposed for those that do, including Canadian citizens.
The restrictions on travel between Canada and the United States is now stretching into it’s second quarter just like we’ve seen with most other international crossings but this one hits especially hard given the close ties between the countries and that for a very long time you were even able to cross between Canada and the U.S. using a drivers license (abandoned after 9/11).
There have already been several decisions that severely impacted travel between Canada, Alaska and “the lower 48” especially when it came to cruise travel with British Columbia shutting down all their ports since spring, essentially killing the Alaska cruise season with huge economic consequences for both B.C. and the Alaska coast towns.
Now according to the CBC the border closure will yet again be extended for another month.
The federal government will extend the Canada-U.S. land border closure for another 30 days until Oct. 21, CBC News has learned.
A source with direct knowledge of the situation, who spoke to CBC on the condition they not be named, said Canadians should expect the possibility the border will remain closed for longer.
The source told CBC News that the federal government is waiting to see evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is being managed efficiently before the government considers opening up non-essential travel between the two countries.
The border has been closed to non-essential travel for months. With caseloads still high in many U.S. states, the two governments have mutually agreed to continue restricting movement across the world’s longest international border.
The closure has resulted in a dramatic drop in traffic between the two countries, although essential workers — such as truck drivers and health-care professionals — are still able to cross by land. Canadians are still able to fly to U.S. destinations. …
The federal government has also moved to curb the movement of Americans through Canada on their way to Alaska. U.S. travellers destined for the northern state have been limited to five crossings in Western Canada and they must commit to taking a direct route. …
It was indeed common to have U.S. citizens come up through Alberta or B.C. claiming to go up to Alaska and then just roaming around the province never intending to go to Alaska at all. Since there were never any checks going out of Canada back to the U.S. other than the U.S. border itself there was (and still is) very little to deter people with such a plan.
One has to wonder how often this extension will be renewed in the future and if there will be an opening of the country to overseas visitors from countries again that are deemed somewhat “safe” by Canadian authorities.
Canada does have some rather generous exceptions in place that allows a flow of family members and employees to go into Canada. Canadians can also visit the U.S. but would have to isolate for 14 days upon return so the question is if that trip is worth the hassle.
Conclusion
The common sentiment among Canadians is that the border should remain closed due to the escalating situation concerning Covid-19 in the lower 48. Can’t say I’d blame them yet this salami tactic extension on a monthly basis isn’t really a solution either.
Canadians are still welcomed to the European Union and Schengen zone as of July (read more here) without quarantine requirements (up to each country – check the conditions). Let’s see how long it takes for Canada to reciprocate because so far there has been crickets for two months. Maybe the EU should withdraw the clearance again if there is nothing forthcoming.
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