Canada Lifts Non-Essential Travel Restrictions on US Travelers

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government lifts non-essential travel restrictions on US travelers. Effective Monday, fully vaccinated American tourists can enter Canada without spending 14 days in quarantine.

Now that non-essential travel is back for US travelers, other countries can also look forward to traveling to Canada. Fully vaccinated travelers from other countries can enter the country without the need to quarantine by September 7. This is part of Canada’s plan to reopen its borders and bring back international travel.

According to a statement by the Canadian government, the change is possible because of “the advent of increased vaccination rates in Canada, declining COVID19 cases and reduced pressure on health care capacity”.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu in July said that a “gradual approach to reopening” will allow health experts to monitor Canada’s COVID19 situation. She added that “Canadians have worked hard and sacrificed for each other”.

Expect Delays as Canada Lifts Travel Restrictions on US Travelers

As Canada lifts travel restrictions on US travelers, there were long delays along the Canadian-US borders. A seven-hour wait time was reported at the Fort Frances, Ontario, and International Falls, Minnesota border. Also, three hour wait time was reported at the Ontario and New Brunswick border. Pearson International Airport officials also announced that travelers should expect delays.

Delta Variant and US Experiencing Another Surge

Canada may have declining COVID numbers as of late, but the US is a different story. The US is now hitting an average of 100,000 new cases per day. The United States may have fully inoculated 60.9% of US adults, but some states have low vaccination rates.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said that “Our models show that if we don’t (vaccinate people), we could be up to several hundred thousand cases a day”. In June, cases were down to just 11,000 cases per day.

States like Florida and Texas have experienced increased hospitalizations and deaths. An expert even called it an “outbreak of the unvaccinated”.