FILE PHOTO: A US customs and protection vehicle stands next to a sign that the border is closed to non-essential traffic at the Canada-US border crossing the Thousand Islands Bridge to combat the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lansdowne, Ontario , Canada, September 28, 2020. REUTERS / Lars Hagberg / File Photo
Canada and the United States on Tuesday extended a land border closure for non-essential travelers, and air passengers arriving in Canada will continue to be tested for COVID-19 before a hotel quarantine period, authorities said.
Restrictions on land borders, imposed in March 2020, have been extended until 21 May. Now in force for 13 months, they are renewed month by month. Mexico said late Monday that it also maintains some border borders. Read more
The US Department of Homeland Security said it was “engaged in talks with Canada and Mexico on reducing restrictions as health conditions improve”.
The restrictions have severely affected many border communities and companies. Many US lawmakers have called for easing restrictions or setting a roadmap for resuming normal travel.
But Canada lags behind the United States in coronavirus vaccinations, and much of the country is now battling a third virulent wave of the pandemic, closing schools and businesses. [L8N2MD6F9] Read more
Canada’s mandatory three-day hotel quarantine following airport testing, which was introduced as a temporary measure to discourage spring travel, has also been extended until May 21, health officials said.
In February, Canada began testing and asked international air arrivals to pay for a three-day hotel quarantine, a move criticized by pandemic-squeezed airlines. There may be more flight restrictions.
“We continue to look at more (measures),” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference. “We have asked our officials to look carefully, for example, at what Britain has done very recently in connection with the suspension of flights from India.”
Quebec Prime Minister Francois Legault has also expressed concern about international flights from India and Brazil – two of the world’s worst hot spots for coronavirus.
Air travelers to Canada are required to have a test within three days of departure and then again on arrival. If the airport text returns negative, they can complete a 14-day quarantine at home.
However, data from Reuters showed that more than 1,000 passengers, or 1.5% of those who arrived between February 22 and March 25, tested positive for COVID-19, raising doubts about a reduction. wide range of restrictions before the summer travel season. Read more
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