Buffalo, NY (WBEN) The battle for the Canadian border continues.
Buffalo area Congressman Brian Higgins joined members of the Northern Border Caucus in meeting with Canada's prime minister Wednesday to continue pushing for a fully open border. Relief is coming as Justin Trudeau told them changes are coming to testing requirements to enter Canada.
Higgins says learned during that meeting that changes to the testing requirements will come in three phases. "They're working out the details, first for Canadians upon their re-entry into Canada, then for Americans, then for everybody else," says Higgins who calls the tests expensive, unpleasant, and unnecessary.
Official details are expected to come on Friday.
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In the slow and monotonous process, Higgins says it points to progress, "but not the progress I was looking for. The fractured approach to border management by both the U.S. and Canadian governments is contributing to public confusion, anger and frankly, it makes no sense. Fully vaccinated individuals, regardless of if they live in Canada or the United States, are equally protected from getting or giving COVID. Testing is not only unnecessary, it is prohibiting a cross-border exchange critical to fostering economic recovery in both nations. I was encouraged by today’s meeting that testing requirements on vaccinated Americans will soon be addressed. I hope that discussions this week can produce a more cohesive policy strategy between the U.S. and Canada on this and other matters.”
Higgins says government should have faith in those who are fully vaccinated. "First, they're fully vaccinated. Second, they're going to take additional precautions that aren't mandated, such as wearing a mask indoors where there are large crowds," explains Higgins.
Higgins says an announcement needs to be made soon to allow for a return to normalcy, which everyone wants, "to reopen the border to fully vaccinated people, without restraint, and do it safely and successfully."