Boris Johnson Pressuring Canada on Travel; Windsor Mayor Pegs June For Border Opening

May 30, 2021 ctn_admin

Signs are increasing that Canada could open its borders more widely near the end of next month.

The Prime Minister of Great Britain on Sunday raised the issue of Canada’s travel and vaccine passport policies in a CBC interview. Meanwhile, the mayor of Windsor, Ontario came away from a meeting with Public Safety Minister Bill Blair with the feeling that the U.S. border could re-open in late June.

“We need to have agreements on issues such as vaccine passports, COVID status certification and the rest,” Johnson told CBC News chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton in an exclusive Canadian interview airing today. “There has to be some sort of agreement then, at the G7 level, to start, on how travel and passports are going to work going forward.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has talked about travel perhaps opening up in summer. But the CBC says that, following a virtual meeting with Canada’s premiers on Thursday, the PM’s office put out a statement saying talks have already begun on the issue.

“A broad consensus emerged out of the discussion between first ministers on collaborative efforts to develop a proof of vaccine credential to enable international travel based on sound principles, including respect for provincial and territorial jurisdiction and privacy of health information,” the statement said. 

Meanwhile, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says he met with mayors from other Ontario border cities, including Niagara Falls and Sarnia, to talk about border issues with Blair.

AM 800 News in Windsor says Dilkens has said he hopes the border might open June 21 and that Blair didn’t rule out that timeline during the mayor’s meeting.

“There are no firm details, so I wouldn’t say that’s officially the date, but it seemed that it was a possibility,” he says. “It wasn’t shot down outright, so that is a possible date based on the percentage of the population in Canada that would reach that vaccination target set by the prime minister,” the radio station quoted Dilkens as saying.

Trudeau has suggested 75% of Canadians will need their first vaccine before the government can consider opening borders.

CTV News says that, as of today, 56.465 of all Canadians have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. As of May 19, 64.63% of Canadians aged 12 and older had their first dose, the network said.

The current border closure, which allows only essential travel between Canada and the U.S. expires June 21.

A federal science panel report last Thursday said Canada should abolish the quarantine hotel program. The panel also said fully vaccinated travellers should not have to quarantine after they arrive in Canada.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu on Friday of last week said rule changes are coming but that she has to speak first with provincial and territorial leaders.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been vociferous in his support for closed borders.

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