Canada could welcome fully vaccinated US travellers by next month

Jul 16 2021, 1:20 pm

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada could welcome fully vaccinated US travellers by next month.

Trudeau said US travellers could be welcomed into Canada by August and said the country is on track to welcome travellers from across the globe by early September.

On Thursday, Trudeau and Dominic LeBlanc, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, held the 33rd call with the country’s provincial and territorial premiers to discuss Canada’s shared response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a press release, the country’s leaders discussed how to continue safely adjusting border measures.

Trudeau said that Canada’s “current positive path of vaccination rate” along with improving public health conditions means the country could be in a position to welcome international travellers back into the country.

He noted the ongoing discussions with the United States on reopening plans and indicated Canada could expect to start allowing fully vaccinated US citizens and permanent residents into Canada as of mid-August for non-essential travel.

The press release says ministers and premiers “expressed their support of reopening plans” and agreed on the importance of ensuring “clarity and predictability as initial steps are taken.”

Leaders also discussed the importance of working collaboratively on a proof of vaccination certificate and prioritized working to implement a system that would enable Canadians to travel internationally “with confidence.”

Regarding the current COVID-19 situation in the country, Trudeau said that case numbers and severe illness continue to decline across the country as vaccination rates continue to spike.

Trudeau noted that Canada continues to lead G20 countries in vaccination rates with approximately 80% of eligible Canadians vaccinated with their first dose and over 50% of eligible Canadians fully vaccinated.

The Prime Minister thanked premiers for their efforts in ramping up vaccinations across the country. With the risk of localized outbreaks and the threat posed by variants of concern, Trudeau encouraged that as many people as possible get fully vaccinated across Canada.

In March 2020, all non-essential travel was closed between the Canada-US border, the largest land border on the planet. According to Bill Blair, Canada’s Public Safety Minister, the closure will remain in place until at least July 21.

Trudeau says Canada’s leaders would be sharing additional details on US-Canada reopening plans early next week.

Ty JadahTy Jadah

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