US-Canada border to reopen!

[fedssocr1]

I saw the news today that Canada has decided to reopen the border with the US on Aug. 9.

Air Canada is already planning to ramp up their transborder flights although flights from DCA aren't going to restart until Sept. 7 which is too bad.

Are the strip clubs in MTL operating? 🙂

[+ azdr0710]

1 hour ago, fedssocr1 said:

Are the strip clubs in MTL operating? 🙂

https://www.companyofmen.org/topic/119965-what-do-we-know-about-when-and-how-montreal-clubs-will-reopen/

[Kippy]

I'm completely confused...with the rise of the Delta variant and recent USA restrictions what is Justin thinking?

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Kippy said:

I'm completely confused...with the rise of the Delta variant and recent USA restrictions what is Justin thinking?

 😄

Well, I'm guessing that there will be restrictions. If he lets in only those with solid proof of immunization, really no risk. Also, I don't know what the situation is for Canadians. If it's similar to that in the US, namely that everyone who wants to be immunized can be, then it's probably finita la comedia for those who choose to remain unvaccinated. Unlike Australia and New Zealand, the virus is already pretty rampant in Canada, so tourism is unlikely to adversely affect the situation much, even if they were to allow unvaccinated people in (which they probably shouldn't). 

Canada is one of the few civilized countries that has still kept its borders closed. Might still make sense for Australia and New Zealand, who were successful in isolating themselves from the rest of the world, but Canada couldn't quite do that. I'm sure Canada's economy must have taken a hit from the closure. I think their vaccine program has caught up, and it's time to stop coddling those who still refuse vaccination. 

[Oscar Not Wilde]

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2021/07/easing-border-measures-for-fully-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada---permitting-discretionary-travel-for-citizens-and-permanent-residents-of-th.html 

Canada isn't just throwing open the door to Americans....have to provide proof of vaccination, testing, and other contact tracing information after arrival.

[fedssocr1]

that link doesn't quite work for me. Sensible to require vaccination proof. And I suppose testing makes some sense. Look at all of the athletes going to the Olympics who are vaccinated but testing positive...although I do wonder a bit about the accuracy of testing. 

Canada pulled ahead of the US in vaccination rate a little while ago. 

[Lazarus]

Stay tuned for a very important announcement that no one will understand….

[Luv2play]

One odd thing about Trudeau's announcement is that the opening is not reciprocal, at least for now. And Biden's Press Secretary said this is not an issue for reciprocating.

Now there has always been an asymmetrical approach in the border closure. For instance Canadians could always fly to the US but only essential people could fly in to Canada.

Now what is happening is that Americans who are fully vaccinated will be able to fly or drive to Canada in a short time but Canadians will still not be able to drive to the States. Very odd. I don't think Canadians will stand for it for too long.

Edited July 20, 2021 by Luv2play

[EZEtoGRU]

4 hours ago, Luv2play said:

One odd thing about Trudeau's announcement is that the opening is not reciprocal, at least for now. And Biden's Press Secretary said this is not an issue for reciprocating.

Now there has always been an asymmetrical approach in the border closure. For instance Canadians could always fly to the US but only essential people could fly in to Canada.

Now what is happening is that Americans who are fully vaccinated will be able to fly or drive to Canada in a short time but Canadians will still not be able to drive to the States. Very odd. I don't think Canadians will stand for it for too long.

I'm assuming the US will reciprocate to some degree pretty quickly.  I wonder if the underlying issue is concern over the number of Canadians that had a mixed vaccine regimen. One jab of AZ then the second jab being Pfizer or Moderna.  

[Luv2play]

Could be that but the way the Delta variant is pushing up the cases in the US in a fairly exponential way, it won't be long before there will be calls to block travel between Canada and the US again.

Canada announced yesterday it is extending the ban on India, where the Delta originated. It will depend to some extent I think on whether vaccination rates continue to climb to over 80 percent coverage.

One thing we have never got an effective handle on is contact tracing and with it being acknowledged that asymptomatic persons can transmit the disease, at least in Canada, if we do not have herd immunity through vaccines, public health authorities will want to limit travel, at least to those who are thoroughly tested.

Edited July 20, 2021 by Luv2play

[+ Pensant]

I’ll be heading up to Van as soon as it’s lifted!

[Luv2play]

51 minutes ago, Pensant said:

I’ll be heading up to Van as soon as it’s lifted!

Who's the attraction in Van? Curious minds want to know.😊

[+ Pensant]

Lots of hotties in their 20’s and a stud Iused to spend weekends with in the past. Besides, I enjoy the drive up.

[MikeBiDude]

1 hour ago, Pensant said:

Lots of hotties in their 20’s and a stud Iused to spend weekends with in the past. Besides, I enjoy the drive up.

One of my absolute favorite cities, for many reasons.

[Guest]

From today's New York Times:

"Beginning on Aug. 9, citizens and permanent residents of the United States will be allowed to enter Canada as long as they have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days before travel, federal government officials said on Monday.Canada then hopes to allow visitors from other countries beginning on Sept. 7, a date that could change depending on conditions. Pressure has been building on both sides of the border to reopen, to bolster tourism and allow separated families to reunite (though Canada has already made some exceptions for relatives). The two countries have renewed the closure every month since the border closed to nonessential travel on March 21, 2020. Commercial traffic was never halted. Canada is ready to lift border restrictions because it has made rapid progress vaccinating its population after months of delays. It now has higher vaccination rates than the United States, with 50 percent of its population fully vaccinated, and 75 percent of residents having received at least one dose, according to its federal public health agency.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had indicated that Canada would begin to open its border after it crossed the 75 percent threshold for residents who are at least partly vaccinated. Travelers must present Canadian border officials with proof of vaccination. Canada will accept only the Covid vaccines it has approved for its population: those made by Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca or the Serum Institute of India, and Janssen, the brand used by Johnson & Johnson in Canada. In a news conference on Monday, Bill Blair, the public safety minister, said he shared Canada’s border plan with his U.S. counterparts last week, but “they’ve not yet made a decision.”

Several members of Congress from both parties applauded Canada’s move and called on the United States to follow suit. Representative Brian Higgins, Democrat of western New York, criticized the Biden administration for what he called a “lack of urgency” in lifting restrictions at the border.Representative Pete Stauber, Republican of Minnesota, s aid on Twitter that the news was “long overdue. Our border communities have suffered for over a year.” The United States must decide by Wednesday to either extend its border closures with Canada and Mexico by a month or lift them altogether.

I didn't realize Mexicans were supposedly not allowed in. I dated a Mexican-American guy ("Diego") in the beginning of the year and he went in and out with his SENTRI card on a frequent basis (he's a dual citizen). Also, in September, I did a 10-day trip with a handsome young doctor from central Mexico. He didn't seem to have any problems, nor was he required to quarantine. He actually worked in a COVID ward in the hospital and got the illness twice before he got vaccinated a few months ago. 

There's no scientific reason to limit entry to those who can prove vaccination with an FDA-approved vaccine. I'm not sure what they're going to do with those who got the Astra-Zeneca, which isn't approved for use in the US. 

[Luv2play]

2 hours ago, Unicorn said:

From today's New York Times:

"Beginning on Aug. 9, citizens and permanent residents of the United States will be allowed to enter Canada as long as they have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days before travel, federal government officials said on Monday.Canada then hopes to allow visitors from other countries beginning on Sept. 7, a date that could change depending on conditions. Pressure has been building on both sides of the border to reopen, to bolster tourism and allow separated families to reunite (though Canada has already made some exceptions for relatives). The two countries have renewed the closure every month since the border closed to nonessential travel on March 21, 2020. Commercial traffic was never halted. Canada is ready to lift border restrictions because it has made rapid progress vaccinating its population after months of delays. It now has higher vaccination rates than the United States, with 50 percent of its population fully vaccinated, and 75 percent of residents having received at least one dose, according to its federal public health agency.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had indicated that Canada would begin to open its border after it crossed the 75 percent threshold for residents who are at least partly vaccinated. Travelers must present Canadian border officials with proof of vaccination. Canada will accept only the Covid vaccines it has approved for its population: those made by Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca or the Serum Institute of India, and Janssen, the brand used by Johnson & Johnson in Canada. In a news conference on Monday, Bill Blair, the public safety minister, said he shared Canada’s border plan with his U.S. counterparts last week, but “they’ve not yet made a decision.”

Several members of Congress from both parties applauded Canada’s move and called on the United States to follow suit. Representative Brian Higgins, Democrat of western New York, criticized the Biden administration for what he called a “lack of urgency” in lifting restrictions at the border.Representative Pete Stauber, Republican of Minnesota, s aid on Twitter that the news was “long overdue. Our border communities have suffered for over a year.” The United States must decide by Wednesday to either extend its border closures with Canada and Mexico by a month or lift them altogether.

I didn't realize Mexicans were supposedly not allowed in. I dated a Mexican-American guy ("Diego") in the beginning of the year and he went in and out with his SENTRI card on a frequent basis (he's a dual citizen). Also, in September, I did a 10-day trip with a handsome young doctor from central Mexico. He didn't seem to have any problems, nor was he required to quarantine. He actually worked in a COVID ward in the hospital and got the illness twice before he got vaccinated a few months ago. 

There's no scientific reason to limit entry to those who can prove vaccination with an FDA-approved vaccine. I'm not sure what they're going to do with those who got the Astra-Zeneca, which isn't approved for use in the US. 

That includes Justin Trudeau and his wife, who got the AstraZeneca vaccine.

[lonely_john]

23 hours ago, Luv2play said:

Now what is happening is that Americans who are fully vaccinated will be able to fly or drive to Canada in a short time but Canadians will still not be able to drive to the States. Very odd. I don't think Canadians will stand for it for too long.

Yet Montreal needs American tourists, especially now for their economic recovery post-Covid.

[BuffaloKyle]

https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/more-of-your-questions-answered-about-pending-border-reopening-canada-covid-test/71-160eab05-04a3-4c5a-a0fa-e5e7bac4c95d

There is quite a lot to know. You have to get a negative test before, upload that and your vaccination info on an app, could be randomly selected to get another test at the border, and have a quarantine plan for them to review. Also NY just announced an end to free testing as well. Our local politicians here in Buffalo are not happy with the testing requirement. BTW Canadians can fly here but no date yet on when they can come over. Be interesting to see if they will have a testing requirement.

[Luv2play]

33 minutes ago, BuffaloKyle said:

https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/more-of-your-questions-answered-about-pending-border-reopening-canada-covid-test/71-160eab05-04a3-4c5a-a0fa-e5e7bac4c95d

There is quite a lot to know. You have to get a negative test before, upload that and your vaccination info on an app, could be randomly selected to get another test at the border, and have a quarantine plan for them to review. Also NY just announced an end to free testing as well. Our local politicians here in Buffalo are not happy with the testing requirement. BTW Canadians can fly here but no date yet on when they can come over. Be interesting to see if they will have a testing requirement.

Well the US just announced the land  border will remain closed to Canadians until at least Aug 21, except for essential travel. I think this is going to infuriate many Canadians since we now have a better handle on vaccination rates and cases of infections than the US 

[Luv2play]

On the other hand, since cases in the US are now heading inexorably upward and still trending lower in Canada (11 vs 1 per 100,000), many Canadians will be just as happy staying home.

[Guest]

52 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

Well the US just announced the land  border will remain closed to Canadians until at least Aug 21, except for essential travel. I think this is going to infuriate many Canadians since we now have a better handle on vaccination rates and cases of infections than the US 

I agree that this seems like a rather ridiculous situation. Of course, the land border closure hurts the Canadian economy more than the US's, but it's still an unnecessary slap in the face. That being said, Canadians have been able fly over during all of this time, and not the reverse...

[Luv2play]

24 minutes ago, Unicorn said:

I agree that this seems like a rather ridiculous situation. Of course, the land border closure hurts the Canadian economy more than the US's, but it's still an unnecessary slap in the face. That being said, Canadians have been able fly over during all of this time, and not the reverse...

Broadly speaking it's true that the border closing is more harmful to the Canadian economy but since this extension of the closure by the US affects primarily the tourist sector and families being able to access their properties across the international border, there will be an inequity created. 

US businesses that profit from Canadian tourists in border states will continue to suffer. Canadians who own recreational properties in States such as Vermont will still be unable to use them. 

The reverse is also true, Americans with properties in Canada will now be allowed to use them. Canadian businesses relying on American tourists will see a resurgence in trade.

The lack of reciprocity will grate on those adversely affected on both sides.

Edited July 21, 2021 by Luv2play

[EZEtoGRU]

I also posted this story on the Montreal strip club thread...but it's relevant here too.  Possible strike action by Canada border officials in August.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cbsa-strike-vote-border-1.6108358

[Luv2play]

8 hours ago, EZEtoGRU said:

I also posted this story on the Montreal strip club thread...but it's relevant here too.  Possible strike action by Canada border officials in August.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cbsa-strike-vote-border-1.6108358

I can't see that happening. If they did there would be back to work legislation pronto. The border is too important to the economy to have it close to trucking.

[Scott Virginian]

The whole “you can fly but you can’t drive” thing leaves me perplexed. You’re less likely to contract Covid in your private car then you are sealed in an airplane with 100 other people. 🤨

The answer is right in front of our noses. Proof of vaccination. I know that Republicans are making a stink about it and the Biden Administration is unwilling to walk face first into that politicized buzz saw, but proof of vaccination should be the standard. It’s not like this is some new idea. I am old enough to remember yellow vaccination cards stapled in my passport. We had been doing that, for over a century, because of cholera and yellow fever and other diseases. I have no problem showing anybody here my card that says I’ve got the Covid vaccine. The only people who have a problem with it appear to be those who refuse to get the vaccine for political reasons, and they’ve successfully bullied and intimidated the rest of us.