Mayors pen letter to Trudeau, urging end to U.S. land border testing

A group of Canadian mayors from a number of land border municipalities are urging the federal government to drop COVID-19 testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers.

The coalition of mayors from across the country have sent an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asking that the testing be dropped immediately to allow for more American tourists to cross the border.

“As you know, border communities have been at the forefront of the federal strategy and have paid a heavy price with the border being closed to all but essential travel for 20 months,” reads the open letter.

“Even now, the border remains under very strict testing guidelines that are not justified by current science and are out of line with public health officers’ mandates.”

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The letter notes that department officials have been telling border industries that the testing requirements at land borders won’t be reviewed until the end of March.

It also points out that Canadians will be able to attend large spectator events, such as NHL games with 20,000 fans, and not be subject to any COVID-19 testing.

“But fully vaccinated American tourists will not be able to cross over the border in their own family car without an unnecessary, expensive test administered by a health professional,” continues the letter to the prime minister. “This absurdity will undermine Canadians’ confidence in all levels of government.”

The letter includes 14 signatures, including mayors from Windsor, Sarnia and Niagara Falls, and elected officials of other border towns in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

The mayors of Windsor, Sarnia and Niagara Falls held a news conference alongside tourism industry representations last week to urge the changes.

Earlier this week, Canada eased some border measures for fully vaccinated travelers with travellers now only being randomly selected for on arrival testing.

All travellers still need proof of a negative test before coming into Canada but can now take a rapid test the day before arriving instead of having to take a PCR test. Rapid tests must be authorized and need to be administered at a lab or healthcare entity, tests cannot be taken at home..

U.S. lawmakers: Lift COVID-19 travel restrictions at Canadian border

Some Republicans in U.S. Congress have drafted legislation earlier this week called the ‘Northern Border Reopening Act.’

It’s designed to force the Biden administration to drop all COVID-19 travel restrictions for Canadian visitors.

One of the politicians says Americans and Canadians are fed up with what he calls “the oppressive and unconstitutional overreach being forced on them that threatens our economic stability and personal liberties.”

Canadian visitors would no longer need to be vaccinated to enter the U.S. or, in the case of air travel, show proof of a negative COVID-19 test, in the unlikely event the bill were to become law.