Land Border Opening?

[ilovetotravel1977]

Yea, nothing new in that article. I've seen ones like that before now. We won't be opening to the US until September, at least.

 

[NewYKRunner]

COVID-19 Tracker Canada - Vaccination Tracker (covid19tracker.ca)

Holy cow, 436,443 vaccinations today

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Yea, nothing new in that article. I've seen ones like that before now. We won't be opening to the US until September, at least.

There's LOTS new on the US side of the border today. The CDC's announcement that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a mask is HUGE, and I suspect Mr. Trudeau will be facing some sharply increasing pressure to formulate a plan to reopen the borders, whether in stages or otherwise. Speaking solely of my own situation, it's going to be hard for Canada to justify keeping me (a Canadian citizen who is 14 days+ past being fully vaccinated) from traveling home without being subject to a 14 day self quarantine when the CDC says I'm so safe that I don't even need to be masked (indoors or out).

It will be interesting to see what transpires from here.

 

[NewYKRunner]

Well we do tend to follow what the US does a lot of the time. Sounds like those CDC announcements caused some kerfuffle as well.

 

[bcwife76]

Listening to Tam today and the 75% one dose/20% two dose, I don't think they have any intention of (a) dropping masks and (b) reopening the border for quite some time. And I was so optimistic last week when the PM stated international travel this summer 'may happen'. Ha.

 

[suse66]

There's LOTS new on the US side of the border today. The CDC's announcement that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a mask is HUGE, and I suspect Mr. Trudeau will be facing some sharply increasing pressure to formulate a plan to reopen the borders, whether in stages or otherwise. Speaking solely of my own situation, it's going to be hard for Canada to justify keeping me (a Canadian citizen who is 14 days+ past being fully vaccinated) from traveling home without being subject to a 14 day self quarantine when the CDC says I'm so safe that I don't even need to be masked (indoors or out).

That's my thought exactly. I am finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and believe borders will open sooner than we think.

Well we do tend to follow what the US does a lot of the time. Sounds like those CDC announcements caused some kerfuffle

I am really, really hoping that things improve as we move in the same direction.

Listening to Tam today and the 75% one dose/20% two dose, I don't think they have any intention of (a) dropping masks and (b) reopening the border for quite some time. And I was so optimistic last week when the PM stated international travel this summer 'may happen'. Ha.

I find Tam to be so negative. Honestly I don't put a lot of stock in what she says considering how badly the beginning of the pandemic was handled. I am feeling much more optimistic about my potential August trip than I was. The next 4-6 weeks will tell us a lot more about what will happen next. Let's hope it's good news.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

We might have Canadian travel this summer, but I can't see International without the current restrictions. What the US does has nothing to do with Canada. They are miles ahead of getting out of this mess. It's apple to oranges at this point.

Edit to add: Do you think US tourists are going to wear a mask in Canada when they don't have to in the US?

 

[Jrb1979]

IMO the border should stay closed til the vast majority of Canadians are vaccinated. I say this due to the new guidelines the CDC put in place and that many places are dropped mask mandates way before the majority are vaccinated.

 

[Susan2771]

US-Canada Border Reopening: Trudeau Government Begins Talks - Bloomberg

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

IMO the border should stay closed til the vast majority of Canadians are vaccinated. I say this due to the new guidelines the CDC put in place and that many places are dropped mask mandates way before the majority are vaccinated.

The new guidelines that the CDC has announced indicate that fully vaccinated individuals can resume pre-pandemic activities.

When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated | CDC

The majority of people in MANY states in the USA *are* fully vaccinated. Our state is already over 55% vaccinated, and just opened vaccines to the 12-16 age group last week....so we should continue to trend upwards. Citizens here can obtain a vaccine at walk in clinics throughout the state, without an appointment, free of charge, and there are plenty to go around.

As a fully vaccinated person, according to the CDC (who has been the #1 guiding resource on Covid 19 safety throughout the pandemic) I am no longer a risk to others. As a Canadian living abroad, it no longer makes sense (if you are following the science and the data) to impose quarantine restrictions on me if I return home, especially if *I* am willing to assume the risk of being among my unvaccinated (or only partially vaccinated, with extended pauses between doses) countrymen.

I could accept the extended separation when the risks were known, documented and proven. I love my country as much as anyone who still lives there.....Canada is my home, and its where everyone I love will continue to reside. I want to keep my fellow Canadians safe at all costs. But when the recommendations are followed and the risks are gone, I see no benefit in keeping a border closed out of an abundance of fear. Have restrictions and requirements to cross? Absolutely! I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm happy to provide proof of my vaccination status at the border. I'm happy to submit to a Covid test both coming and going as an extra precaution. But keep the borders closed indefinitely to those full vaccinated individuals who even the CDC agrees pose no risk? Families, tourism, and trade have all suffered long enough.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Edit to add: Do you think US tourists are going to wear a mask in Canada when they don't have to in the US?

I don't see visitors to Canada ignoring mask regulations any more than they would ignore any other rules of the country. Visitors from Britain don't drive on the opposite side of the road just because they do so at home. Travelers from the USA still follow speed limit guidelines while in Canada, even though they are slower than in many US states. Canadian tourists wouldn't let their 19 year olds drink in an American restaurant where the age limit is different. As the old saying goes, "When in Rome.....". If people want or need to visit, they will follow whatever mask regulations are currently in place in those communities.

 

[ottawamom]

@Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina, what if you as a fully vaccinated person have Covid (asymptomatic) and bring that into the country where it can now spread among partially or not yet vaccinated people? Having a negative test today does not guarantee that you won't cross the border with Covid. And how do the guards at the border assess whether you have been legitimately vaccinated. The passport will be a huge negotiation between the two countries. It's not all black and white, easy to solve. While the CDC governs things in the states it truly has no bearing on how things are done in this country.

It is a pain and we all want to be able to do what we used to be able to do but we just have to be patient a little longer.

 

[Donald - my hero]

The majority of people in MANY states in the USA *are* fully vaccinated. Our state is already over 55% vaccinated, and just opened vaccines to the 12-16 age group last week....so we should continue to trend upwards. Citizens here can obtain a vaccine at walk in clinics throughout the state, without an appointment, free of charge, and there are plenty to go around.

I could accept the extended separation when the risks were known, documented and proven. I love my country as much as anyone who still lives there.....Canada is my home, and its where everyone I love will continue to reside. I want to keep my fellow Canadians safe at all costs. But when the recommendations are followed and the risks are gone, I see no benefit in keeping a border closed out of an abundance of fear. Have restrictions and requirements to cross? Absolutely! I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm happy to provide proof of my vaccination status at the border. I'm happy to submit to a Covid test both coming and going as an extra precaution. But keep the borders closed indefinitely to those full vaccinated individuals who even the CDC agrees pose no risk?

I agree with most of what you've said here but want to comment on the 2 things I've highlighted in your post

We do NOT have the ability to get vaccinated with the same ease that you have been due to supply. We are at the mercy of the supply chain and there's no way around it, this is not the time to fix it or discuss how we got here, we just need to deal with the circumstances. Our vaccine rates are moving forward at a better pace now but if you look at THIS WEBSITE you can see that as a country we only have ~ 3% of our entire country fully vaccinated, we have a LOOONG way to go yet. Our mid-late summer mark is only for 1st doses administered but we will get there.

The border won't be closed indefinitely but we need to give our population a chance to get vaccinated before that happens. Don't forget that none of the vaccines offer 100% protection, so you could still get ill (the VOC are terrible buggers!) or even with the best precautions in place possibly infect someone here (not enough study time to determine if a vaccinated person can transmit)

**** This is directed to everyone now:
I get that this is frustrating and that we've all reached the end of our ropes, heck even hubby and I as extreme introverts are itchy to go somewhere, ANYWHERE, but we're still on a stay-at-home order in Ontario. Yes, we need to open our borders again but we have to wait a bit longer. When i get frustrated i pull up news articles from a year ago when even the thought of a vaccine, never mind multiple, was just a dream & we had only started to loosen lockdown restrictions. Then i take a step back, take some deep breaths and thank the scientific and medical communities that brought us this far. Just hang in a bit longer everyone and keep protecting everyone.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

I don't see visitors to Canada ignoring mask regulations any more than they would ignore any other rules of the country. Visitors from Britain don't drive on the opposite side of the road just because they do so at home. Travelers from the USA still follow speed limit guidelines while in Canada, even though they are slower than in many US states. Canadian tourists wouldn't let their 19 year olds drink in an American restaurant where the age limit is different. As the old saying goes, "When in Rome.....". If people want or need to visit, they will follow whatever mask regulations are currently in place in those communities.

Um, okay. Driving on the wrong side of the road, illegal drinking, etc are a bit much for examples, but whatever.

I can guarantee you that the little shops on the Halifax waterfront will NOT want to police tourists who won't wear a mask in their shop or social distance.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

@Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina, what if you as a fully vaccinated person have Covid (asymptomatic) and bring that into the country where it can now spread among partially or not yet vaccinated people? Having a negative test today does not guarantee that you won't cross the border with Covid. And how do the guards at the border assess whether you have been legitimately vaccinated. The passport will be a huge negotiation between the two countries. It's not all black and white, easy to solve. While the CDC governs things in the states it truly has no bearing on how things are done in this country.

It is a pain and we all want to be able to do what we used to be able to do but we just have to be patient a little longer.

But what is the statistical probability, or even POSSIBILITY, of that REALLY happening?

John Hopkins University, which I would assume most would agree is a credible and reliable source, has this to say:

New Data on COVID-19 Transmission by Vaccinated Individuals - COVID-19 - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (jhsph.edu)

Plus if you add in the extra layer of a Covid test, it would reduce the ridiculously miniscule number even more. Heck, for fun, make 2 Covid tests 48 hours a part a requirement.....then what is the probability that I (or any fully vaccinated individual) would carry the virus into the country?

Statistically speaking, I would be at a higher risk of getting in a serious car accident on the 401 on the 7 hour drive home.

Canada was more than willing to follow the CDC's guidelines at the beginning of the pandemic when they called for quarantines, masking, social distancing and other restrictions....why would they not be as willing to follow their guidelines as we turn the corner on transmitting the virus?

 

[wdwmom3]

I’m not seeing everything in this thread cause I have ignored some posters. But I would just like to remind everyone please don’t get political. We don’t need more threads closed.

 

[Donald - my hero]

Canada was more than willing to follow the CDC's guidelines at the beginning of the pandemic when they called for quarantines, masking, social distancing and other restrictions....why would they not be as willing to follow their guidelines as we turn the corner on transmitting the virus?

It's because as I pointed out, we're not ABLE to get vaccinated yet. This isn't indefinite, just temporary until we can catch up!! YOU might have the opportunity but we simply don't

 

[Donald - my hero]

I’m not seeing everything in this thread cause I have ignored some posters. But I would just like to remind everyone please don’t get political. We don’t need more threads closed.

Thanks for the reminder to ignore, like most of us, I'm walking a very thin line right now and simple things easily slip my mind

 

[wdwmom3]

Thanks for the reminder to ignore, like most of us, I'm walking a very thin line right now and simple things easily slip my mind

It’s amazing what it does for the sanity. And it’s kind of funny seeing posts and having no idea why people are talking about certain things lol.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I agree with most of what you've said here but want to comment on the 2 things I've highlighted in your post

We do NOT have the ability to get vaccinated with the same ease that you have been due to supply. We are at the mercy of the supply chain and there's no way around it, this is not the time to fix it or discuss how we got here, we just need to deal with the circumstances. Our vaccine rates are moving forward at a better pace now but if you look at THIS WEBSITE you can see that as a country we only have ~ 3% of our entire country fully vaccinated, we have a LOOONG way to go yet. Our mid-late summer mark is only for 1st doses administered but we will get there.

The border won't be closed indefinitely but we need to give our population a chance to get vaccinated before that happens. Don't forget that none of the vaccines offer 100% protection, so you could still get ill (the VOC are terrible buggers!) or even with the best precautions in place possibly infect someone here (not enough study time to determine if a vaccinated person can transmit)

**** This is directed to everyone now:
I get that this is frustrating and that we've all reached the end of our ropes, heck even hubby and I as extreme introverts are itchy to go somewhere, ANYWHERE, but we're still on a stay-at-home order in Ontario. Yes, we need to open our borders again but we have to wait a bit longer. When i get frustrated i pull up news articles from a year ago when even the thought of a vaccine, never mind multiple, was just a dream & we had only started to loosen lockdown restrictions. Then i take a step back, take some deep breaths and thank the scientific and medical communities that brought us this far. Just hang in a bit longer everyone and keep protecting everyone.

Oh, I am well aware that Canada's roll out of the vaccine has been woefully slow, and continues to lag behind most developed countries. My heart has been heavy with worry for my family members in Ontario. My son's fiance is a teacher and only just received her first shot this past week, with her second scheduled for August 30th. August!!!

I am not, nor have I ever, advocated for fully open borders at the very beginning. But taking fear out of the equation and looking at actual statistical and scientific data, including those conducted by the CDC, there is little justification to restrict a fully vaccinated citizen (who hails from an area with lower transmission and death rates) from entering Canada at this point, as long as that person is willing to accept the risk posed by unvaccinated Canadians.

This isn't directed at you, Jacqueline, but I saw the remark from another poster above, and I'm not sure why an opposing viewpoint has to be taken as "political". There are no "politics" in my statements.....I have made no comments on the current administration in either country, or how that is factored into this whole mess. I like to look at the science because that has no "party". If someone can give me statistical data to support their claims of imminent danger by a vaccinated individual, I'm all ears. The use of the ignore button is fine.....it honestly doesn't hurt my feelings.....because I'm not looking to secure "likes". I appreciate a thoughtful discussion and debate, especially on a topic that is so relevant to us all.