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Trudeau wants more Canadians vaccinated before opening border

Joel Gardiner, left, embraces Mandi Gardiner after the two married June 8, 2021, at the arch separating the U.S. from Canada in Blaine. Gardiner, of Canada, walked across the border at the park into the U.S. to wed his American sweetheart.
Elaine Thompson
/
The Associated Press
Joel Gardiner, left, embraces Mandi Gardiner after the two married June 8, 2021, at the arch separating the U.S. from Canada in Blaine. Gardiner, of Canada, walked across the border at the park into the U.S. to wed his American sweetheart.

 
 

The U.S.-Canada border will remain closed to all non-essential traffic until July 21. And this time the extension of the closure is a little different.

In announcing the closure for another month on Friday, the Canadian government also said it would release further details Monday about allowing fully vaccinated travelers to enter the country. 

On Monday, the government shared this plan. It goes into effect July 5 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight time. 

  • Those entering Canada by air will not require a mandatory hotel stay. Those entering by land were not ever required to do so.
  • Only Canadians, permanent residents or those already allowed to enter Canada can do so, until at least July 21.
  • Fully vaccinated travelers will not have to quarantine for two weeks if they prove negative for COVID-19. They will have to be in quarantine until that result comes back.
  • Proof of vaccination must be uploaded to the ArriveCAN app prior to returning home. This is basically what some call a “vaccine passport."
  • Those 5 years and older will have to provide proof of a negative PCR test, taken within 72 hours of entering Canada by air or land.
  • Children younger than 12 returning with parents have to quarantine for two weeks; fully vaccinated parents do not.  (There is no vaccine available for those younger than 12.)

 
Speaking in Ottawa last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the country is not out of the pandemic and would like to see more Canadians vaccinated because they can still spread the virus to others when returning home.

"And that means we have to really make sure that not only people who are fully vaccinated can travel but the communities to which they will return are not at risk because, even though they are protected from hospitalization, the people around them might not be," Trudeau said. 

Trudeau hopes to see at least 75 percent of Canadians with one dose and 20 percent fully vaccinated before reopening the border. Canada is close to those targets now.

In British Columbia, almost 75 percent are partially vaccinated, with 20 percent already having received their second inoculation. 

Initially, Trudeau also says travelers coming into Canada will have to upload a picture of their immunization record into the ArriveCAN app before being allowed into the country.