Canada Reopens Border To Vaccinated Americans

BLAINE, WA — Canada has reopened its border to vaccinated Americans.

The border was first closed back in March 2020 due to the pandemic. Now, after more than a year of lockdown, travelers have rushed to the border in droves to be among the first to cross over. As the border opened Monday, cars lined up for hours outside Peace Arch Historical State Park, the popular border crossing near Blaine.

Previously, the border had been closed to all but Canadian citizens, permanent residents, residents registered under the Indian Act, and essential foreign travelers.

Under the new rules, travelers visiting Canada must be both fully vaccinated and have a negative COVID-19 test taken within the past three days. Visitors are not required to quarantine at government-authorized hotels, as they had been earlier in the pandemic.

The border opening is good news for businesses that rely on cross-border traffic into Canada, but some have expressed frustration that the United States has not reciprocated. While Canada has been planning the border opening since mid-July, the United States will not be opening the border to Canadians until Aug. 21, possibly later.

When the Biden Administration's plan to prolong the closure was first announced late last month, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he was "extremely disappointed" by the decision, saying it would hamper the state's struggling economy.

"This continued closure will result in continued hardship for Washingtonians," Inslee said.

U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) shared a similar sentiment, saying the closure would cause "further suffering" in Washington's border communities.

At Washington's most popular border crossing in Blaine, more than 6 million people crossed the border in 2019. In 2020, that fell to just over 3 million as Canada and the U.S. limited crossings only to essential travelers.

Blaine Chamber of Commerce board member Carroll Solomon told the Associated Press the reopening Monday is a step in the right direction, but that she's looking forward to the day when there are fewer hurdles to jump through before crossing the border.

"I have a lot of friends on the Canadian side and would love to go have lunch with somebody, but you can't just do that; you have to plan days in advance to make sure you can get through," Solomon said.

Related:

Inslee 'Extremely Disappointed' By Ongoing Canada Border Closure