Buffalo, NY (WBEN) The Canadian government will open the border to fully vaccinated Americans on August 9th. They must still take a COVID test prior to traveling.
Pre-departure testing rules still in place, meaning travelers must provide vaccination proof and other documents and be prepared to quarantine if they don't meet all the requirements upon arrival. Canadian officials say all travelers must use ArriveCAN (app or web portal) to submit their travel information. If they are eligible to enter Canada and meet specific criteria, fully vaccinated travelers will not have to quarantine upon arrival in Canada.
Canadian officials say fully vaccinated travelers will not need a post-arrival test unless they have been randomly selected to complete a Day 1 COVID-19 molecular test. There are no changes to the mandatory testing requirements for unvaccinated travelers.
Canada will allow travelers from any other nation starting September 7th who have completed the full course of vaccination with a Government of Canada-accepted vaccine at least 14 days prior to entering Canada and who meet specific entry requirements.
For traveling families, Canada says children under 12 traveling with fully vaccinated parents don't need to quarantine for 14 days. However they face other restrictions like not going to group settings such as daycare or camps
Canadian officials note the US has not announced plans to allow Canadians into the US yet.
Buffalo Congressman Brian Higgins is thrilled with the news, saying the decision announced Monday is based in science.
"It is extremely frustrating that the United States government has failed to reciprocate current family exemptions already allowed by the Canadian government and failed to show a lack of urgency to make any progress on this side of the border toward lifting restrictions. There are logistics to be worked out and questions to be answered certainly, but the U.S. has neglected to give re-opening the Northern Border the serious attention it deserves, and there is no excuse. Failure to coordinate this announcement in a bi-national way will only lead to confusion among travelers. We will continue to push for action by the U.S. government to welcome our Canadian neighbors back."
