Dr. Tam: Changes to Border Rules Could Be Coming Soon
May 25, 2021 Jim Byers
Canada’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be on a “good trajectory,” and changes to some border policies are “coming soon,” Canada’s chief health officer says.
Dr. Theresa Tam appeared in front of a Canadian House of Commons committee last Friday and offered up some hope for the tourism industry and for folks who want to cross the border more easily.
She didn’t give a specific date for when the border with the U.S. might open, or when borders in general might be unlocked, but she did make it sound as if there might be a loosening of restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said some of kind of vaccine passport for Canada is likely needed and that he wants to align Canadian policies with major allies. The European Union has endorsed the idea of allowing vaccinated travellers into Europe beginning in July.
“We’re very actively examining the policies related to vaccinated travellers or fully vaccinated travel,” she said at the three-hour long committee hearing, adding, “I do think that Canada is probably on a good trajectory in terms of its epidemiology and our own vaccination coverage and so I do think that between now and moving toward the fall, we would expect some shifts in that policy.”
Tam didn’t say so, but changes could include a relaxation of quarantine rules as well as special permission to enter Canada for visitors or residents with two doses of vaccine.
Tam said factors such as hospital capacity, case rates and vaccination percentages in Canada (which are rising fast) have to be taken into consideration.
More than one-third of the U.S. population is now fully vaccinated.
According to CP24, Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski, whose Thunder Bay-Rainy River riding in northwestern Ontario runs along the United States border, said there are thousands of businesses that rely on American tourists in the summer.
“If there’s no American tourists this year, they’re going to go bankrupt, and a lot of people will lose their livelihood,” he said. “I think it’s a reasonable question: when can we expect to hear when fully vaccinated people, especially Americans, will be allowed into Canada?”
Tam said it was a reasonable question, and that some changes to policies are coming soon.
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