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Travelling to the U.S.? The rules are still in flux – CBC.ca

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American tourists yearning to visit Canada received welcome news on Monday when the federal government announced it will soon reopen its doors to fully vaccinated U.S. citizens. 

However, some Canadians yearning to cross the U.S. land border felt short-changed, as no reciprocal agreement was announced. 

“I’m waiting pretty damn patiently. We are all waiting pretty patiently to have this border open,” said Leslie Beitel of Lethbridge, Alta. She owns a second home about 290 kilometres away in Columbia Falls, Mont., but can’t drive there because the U.S. land border is closed.  

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“It would just be really nice to be able to have free access to our place,” she said. 

Here are the current rules for entering the U.S., including what’s subject to change. 

U.S. travel rules

In March 2020, Canada and the United States agreed to close their shared land border to non-essential travel to help stop the spread of COVID-19. 

The U.S. decided to still let Canadian travellers enter by air, while Canada barred American tourists from entering by any mode of transport. 

It was widely assumed that — when the time was right — the two countries would announce a joint reopening of the land border. 

But that didn’t happen. 

On Monday, the Canadian government announced that, come Aug. 9, fully vaccinated Americans can enter Canada and even skip quarantine. The U.S. government, however, had nothing new to announce, except that it was continuing to review its current travel restrictions. 

“Every country gets to set its own rules about how it will keep its citizens safe,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a news conference in Hamilton on Tuesday. 

WATCH | Canada to open border to vaccinated Americans starting Aug. 9: 

Effective Aug. 9, fully vaccinated Americans can travel to Canada without having to quarantine, rules which may extend to the rest of the world in early September. 2:32

A day later, the U.S. declared that, barring an amendment, its side of the land border will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Aug. 21 due to risks posed by the pandemic.

Even so, Canadians can still freely enter the U.S. by air. 

They must show proof of a negative molecular or antigen COVID-19 test taken no more than three days before their flight. 

When returning to Canada, travellers must show proof of a negative molecular test taken in the U.S. However, the Canadian government said that come Aug. 9, travellers can take that test when leaving Canada, and use it to both enter the U.S. and return home — as long as they’re in the U.S. for less than 72 hours. 

Birgit Heinbach, right, used to be able to walk to her husband Ian Geddes’s house in Blaine, Wash., in 45 minutes. With the land border closed, the trip now involves two planes and most of a day. ‘It’s ridiculous,’ she said. (Len Saunders)

Birgit Heinbach lives in Surrey, B.C., just seven kilometres from her American husband’s home across the border in Blaine, Wash. 

She used to be able to walk to her husband’s house in 45 minutes, but because Heinback can’t travel by land, visiting her husband has become a lengthy, expensive journey. 

“I have to fly from Vancouver to Seattle, hang around there, take the next plane to Bellingham. So it takes me three quarters of a day,” she said. “It’s ridiculous.”

Why won’t the U.S. reopen its land border now?

Last year, the U.S. made noises about reopening the Canada-U.S. land border while Canada publicly opposed the idea. 

So why was the U.S. silent on Monday when Canada announced its reopening plans?

Foreign policy expert Edward Alden suggested the U.S. is waiting until it’s ready to reopen its shared land border with Mexico, which is also closed to non-essential travel. 

“It would be enormously awkward for this administration … to lift the restrictions on Canada without simultaneously lifting the land border restrictions on Mexico,” said Alden, a professor of U.S.-Canada economic relations at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash.

WATCH | Mexico’s ambassador to Canada on the land border closures: 

Following news that the U.S. will extend its land border closure with Mexico and Canada until Aug. 21, Mexico’s Ambassador to Canada Juan José Gomez-Camacho tells Power & Politics he thinks it’s logical for the United States to treat its northern and southern borders the same. 7:28

Alden suggested the U.S. isn’t rushing to reopen the border with Mexico because of the anticipated consequences: a flood of asylum seekers it can’t immediately turn back along with backlash from Republicans opposed to Biden’s immigration policies. 

“It’s mostly the political concern over the Republicans,” he said. “It’s also, I would think, just a [border] resources concern.”

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security tweeted that it is “in constant contact with Canadian and Mexican counterparts to identify the conditions under which restrictions may be eased safely and sustainably.”

Vaccine mixing concerns

It’s unclear at this point whether the U.S. will mandate that Canadian tourists be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 when they’re allowed to cross by land. It’s not currently a requirement for U.S.-bound air travellers.

If the U.S. does impose a vaccination requirement, it could cause problems for the more than 2.6 million Canadians who have mixed doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

The U.S. currently does not recognize COVID-19 vaccine mixing.

“The safety and effectiveness of receiving two different COVID-19 vaccines has not been studied,” Jasmine Reed, a spokesperson for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an email. 

However, the CDC says mixed doses of the two mRNA vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, will be accepted in “exceptional situations,” such as when the vaccine used for the first dose was no longer available. That rule excludes the many Canadians who got an AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and an mRNA shot.

Cruise line questions

Several cruise lines are following the CDC’s directive for their cruises departing from the U.S. where the passenger must be fully vaccinated. Norwegian Cruise Line is not recognizing people with mixed doses as being fully vaccinated. Princess CruisesCarnival and Holland America aren’t recognizing those who mixed doses of AstraZeneca and an mRNA vaccine.

“It makes me feel like I’m somehow a second class citizen,” said epidemiologist Nazeem Muhajarine, who got one dose of AstraZeneca and a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Epidemiologist Nazeem Muhajarine said studies so far suggest that mixing vaccine doses is safe and effective, so the U.S. will likely at some point change its policy, which does not currently recognize them. (Lauren Winter Photography)

Muhajarine, a professor of community health and epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan, said studies so far suggest that mixing vaccine doses is safe and effective, so the U.S. will likely change its policy at some point.

“It has to change, because this is such a narrow kind of take on what is allowable,”  he said. 

“There are many countries mixing and matching different types of vaccines.”


Have questions about this story? We’re answering as many as we can in the comments.


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RCMP end latest N.B. search regarding teenage girl who went missing in 2021

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BATHURST, N.B. – RCMP in New Brunswick say a weekend ground search for evidence related to the disappearance of a teenage girl in 2021 didn’t reveal any new information.

In an emailed statement, the RCMP said 20 people participated in the search for evidence in the case of Madison Roy-Boudreau of Bathurst.

The release said the search occurred in the Middle River area, just south of the girl’s hometown.

Police have said the 14-year-old’s disappearance is being treated as a homicide investigation.

The RCMP said the search “did not reveal any new information regarding the circumstances of her disappearance.”

There are no plans for another search until police receive a tip or a lead pointing to a new search area.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Man Tasered after trespassing in Victoria school, forcing lockdown

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VICTORIA – A middle school in Victoria was forced into a lockdown after a man entered the building without permission, and police say they had to use a stun gun to make an arrest.

Victoria police say officers received multiple calls around noon on Monday of an unknown male entering Central Middle School, leading staff to set off emergency procedures that put the building under lockdown.

Police say its emergency response team arrived within minutes and found the suspect, who “appeared to be in a drug-induced state,” in the school’s library.

A statement from police says the suspect resisted arrest, and officers had to use a Taser to subdue the man.

He’s being held by police and has been assessed by emergency medical staff.

Police say the man was not armed and there were no continuing safety concerns for students and staff following the arrest.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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B.C. Greens’ ex- leader Weaver thinks minority deal with NDP less likely than in 2017

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VANCOUVER – Former B.C. Green leader Andrew Weaver knows what it’s like to form a minority government with the NDP, but says such a deal to create the province’s next administration is less likely this time than seven years ago.

Weaver struck a power-sharing agreement that resulted in John Horgan’s NDP minority government in 2017, but said in an interview Monday there is now more animosity between the two parties.

Neither the NDP nor the B.C. Conservatives secured a majority in Saturday’s election, raising the prospect of a minority NDP government if Leader David Eby can get the support of two Green legislators.

Manual recounts in two ridings could also play an important role in the outcome, which will not be known for about a week.

Weaver, who is no longer a member of the Greens, endorsed a Conservative candidate in his home riding.

He said Eby would be in a better position to negotiate if Furstenau, who lost her seat, stepped aside as party leader.

“I think Mr. Eby would be able to have fresh discussions with fresh new faces around the table, (after) four years of political sniping … between Sonia and the NDP in the B.C. legislature,” he said.

He said Furstenau’s loss put the two elected Greens in an awkward position because parties “need the leader in the legislature.”

Furstenau could resign as leader or one of the elected Greens could step down and let her run in a byelection in their riding, he said.

“They need to resolve that issue sooner rather than later,” he said.

The Green victories went to Rob Botterell in Saanich North and the Islands and Jeremy Valeriote in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.

Neither Botterell nor Valeriote have held seats in the legislature before, Weaver noted.

“It’s not like in 2017 when, you know, I had been in the (legislature) for four years already,” Weaver said, adding that “the learning curve is steep.”

Sanjay Jeram, chair of undergraduate studies in political science at Simon Fraser University, said he doesn’t think it’ll be an “easygoing relationship between (the NDP and Greens) this time around.”

“I don’t know if Eby and Furstenau have the same relationship — or the potential to have the same relationship — as Horgan and Weaver did,” he said. “I think their demands will be a little more strict and it’ll be a little more of a cold alliance than it was in 2017 if they do form an alliance.”

Horgan and Weaver shook hands on a confidence-and-supply agreement before attending a rugby match, where they were spotted sitting together before the deal became public knowledge.

Eby said in his election-night speech that he had already reached out to Furstenau and suggested common “progressive values” between their parties.

Furstenau said in her concession speech that her party was poised to play a “pivotal role” in the legislature.

Botterell said in an election-night interview that he was “totally supportive of Sonia” and he would “do everything I can to support her and the path forward that she chooses to take because that’s her decision.”

The Green Party of Canada issued a news release Monday, congratulating the candidates on their victories, noting Valeriote’s win is the first time that a Green MLA has been elected outside of Vancouver Island.

“Now, like all British Columbians we await the final seat count to know which party will have the best chance to form government. Let’s hope that the Green caucus has a pivotal role,” the release said, echoing Furstenau’s turn of phrase.

The final results of the election won’t be known until at least next week.

Elections BC says manual recounts will be held on Oct. 26 to 28 in two ridings where NDP candidates led B.C. Conservatives by fewer than 100 votes after the initial count ended on Sunday.

The outcomes in Surrey City Centre and Juan de Fuca-Malahat could determine who forms government.

The election’s initial results have the NDP elected or leading in 46 ridings, and the B.C. Conservatives in 45, both short of the 47 majority mark in B.C.’s 93-seat legislature.

If the Conservatives win both of the recount ridings and win all other ridings where they lead, Rustad will win with a one-seat majority.

If the NDP holds onto at least one of the ridings where there are recounts, wins the other races it leads, and strikes a deal with the Greens, they would have enough numbers to form a minority government.

But another election could also be on the cards, since the winner will have to nominate a Speaker, reducing the government’s numbers in the legislature by one vote.

Elections BC says it will also be counting about 49,000 absentee and mail-in ballots from Oct. 26 to 28.

The NDP went into the election with 55 ridings, representing a comfortable majority in what was then an 87-seat legislature.

Jeram, with Simon Fraser University, said though the counts aren’t finalized, the Conservatives were the big winners in the election.

“They weren’t really a not much of a formal party until not that long ago, and to go from two per cent of the vote to winning 45 or more seats in the B.C. provincial election is just incredible,” he said in an interview Monday.

Jeram said people had expected Eby to call an election after he took over from John Horgan in 2022, and if he had, he doesn’t think there would have been the same result.

He said the B.C. Conservative’s popularity grew as a result of the decision of the BC Liberals to rebrand as BC United and later drop out.

“Had Eby called an election before that really shook out, and maybe especially before (Pierre) Poilievre, kind of really had the wind in his sails and started to grow, I think he could have won the majority for sure.”

He said he wasn’t surprised by the results of the election, saying polls were fairly accurate.

“Ultimately, it really was a result that we saw coming for a while, since the moment that BC United withdrew and put their support behind the conservatives, I think this was the outcome that was expected.”

— With files from Darryl Greer

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

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