Canada reopens to vaccinated Americans
DERBY LINE, Vermont — Canada lifted its prohibition on Americans crossing the border to shop, vacation or visit on Monday while the United States is maintaining similar restrictions for Canadians, part of a bumpy return to normalcy from covid-19 travel bans.
U.S. citizens and legal residents must be both fully vaccinated and test negative for covid-19 within three days to get across one of the world’s longest and busiest land borders, and Canadian officials warn they won’t sacrifice safety for shorter border waits. Travelers also must fill out a detailed application on the arriveCAN app before crossing.
On the first morning that U.S. citizens were allowed to cross into Canada again, it was slow going in the tiny border town of Derby Line, Vt., where long stretches passed without any cars headed into downtown Stanstead, Quebec.
In Buffalo, N.Y., Lisa and Jim Docherty got covid-19 tests at a pharmacy for their first visit to their Ridgeway, Ontario, cottage since the summer of 2019. The Hilton, S.C. couple, originally from Buffalo, has had the cottage more than 40 years.
Lisa Docherty said she looked forward to “just mentally making sure everything’s OK.”
“It’s just been a part of my life because my grandma had a cottage since I was 10, so just kind of a feeling like returning to normal,” she said.
The pharmacy clinic was charging $140 for same-day tests and $125 for delivery of results in 24 to 48 hours.
“At this point, we’ll just do whatever we have to do,” Lisa Docherty said before heading in for a nasal swab.
By early afternoon, passenger cars were waiting more than an hour at the Rainbow Bridge to enter Niagara Falls, Ontario, from Niagara Falls, N.Y. There were no delays at two other western New York crossings, the Peace Bridge in Buffalo and the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge in Lewiston.
The U.S.-Canada border has been closed to nonessential travel since March 2020.
The U.S. has said it will extend its closure to all Canadians making nonessential trips until at least Aug. 21, which also applies to the Mexican border. But the Biden administration is beginning to make plans for a phased reopening. The main requirement would be that nearly all foreign visitors to the U.S. will have to be vaccinated.
FRANCE STARTS VIRUS PASS
Meanwhile, France on Monday took a big step into a post-pandemic future by requiring people to show a QR code proving they have a virus pass before they can enjoy restaurants and cafes or travel by plane, train or bus across the country.
The measure is part of a government plan to encourage more people to get a shots and slow down a surge in infections, with the delta variant now accounting for most cases in France. More than 36 million people in France, or more than 54% of the population, are fully vaccinated.
The pass is issued to people who are vaccinated or have proof of a recent recovery from the virus or a recent negative test. The measure also applies to tourists.
In the southern city of Marseille, several restaurant owners did not check clients for the pass, an Associated Press reporter saw Monday. Many in the entertainment business are annoyed that the government is foisting such a job on them.
The owner of the Backstage restaurant and bar in a theater district on Paris’ Left Bank said the checks made him feel like a police officer but he still followed government orders.
“This involves putting on another cap,” said Pierre Arnoux. “We have to ask the client if — yes or no — they are validated to have a drink at my restaurant. This is rather unusual. I must admit this isn’t for me.”