TORONTO – The reopening of the borders to American tourists, who since today – provided they are vaccinated – can arrive in Canada, has been received in a different way: on the one hand doctors and health experts judge the decision of Ottawa to be ventured, on the other hand the traders of the Niagara Region could not wait to return to doing business after so many months of lean.
It is a relaxation of travel restrictions at the border that comes at the very moment when the infections have regained altitude: when the decision was taken on July 19, Ontario recorded an average of 155 cases over seven days but now this average has risen to 261. According to many experts, the fourth wave of Covid-19, is already among us. Dr. Susie Hota, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at the University Health Network, says bluntly that this is a risky time to reopen the border and that Canada can, in doing so, import cases from the south of the border.
All arriving travelers must be immunized with a vaccine approved by Health Canada at least 14 days before arrival in the country and show evidence of a negative molecular test for Covid-19 that has no more than 72 hours: the four accepted vaccines are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca, also known as Covishield, and Johnson &Johnson. Proof of vaccination must be uploaded to the “ArriveCAN” app and all travelers must still provide a quarantine plan just in case.
For its part, however, the United States is resisting the call to ease restrictions on non-essential travel at land crossings and is not saying when this could happen. Air and sea passengers are exempt, but not passengers by train, ferry and pleasure boat.
A discrepancy, this between the two states, which has not failed to spark controversy. The US, however, is currently silent.
But even if the Delta variant doesn’t make you sleep soundly, companies in the Niagara region are eager to welcome American visitors again, for the first time in more than a year.
Traders in the Niagara region, which marks the province’s border, relie heavily on tourism and has been looking forward to lifting the restrictions. “After 17 long months, we are very pleased to welcome U.S. visitors back to Niagara Falls in Canada – said Janice Thomson, head of tourism in Niagara Falls – almost 30% of visitors to the area come from the United States”.
The owner of Niagara Wine Tours International said demand has increased since Ontario began reopening and is expected to increase with changes made at the border. “We’re excited to have our U.S. friends here again,” said Lance Patton, noting that U.S. travelers often visit the area to celebrate birthdays, celebrate anniversaries, hold corporate events, and enjoy group vacations.
The mayor of Niagara Falls Jim Diodati, finally, said that his city is happy to be able to return to a “near normality”: Diodati has been asking for months for the reopening of the border as the city’s economy depends heavily on tourists.