Long delays as Canada opens border to fully vaccinated American tourists after 16 months

Record ID: 1631447

  • Title: Long delays as Canada opens border to fully vaccinated American tourists after 16 months
  • Date: 9th August 2021
  • Summary: SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA (AUGUST 9, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CARS LINED UP TO ENTER CANADA AT THE PEACE ARCH BORDER CROSSING
  • Embargoed: 23rd August 2021 20:17
  • Keywords: Canada COVID Canada border Canada opens border opened
  • Location: SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
  • City: SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
  • Country: Canada
  • Topics: Canada,Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001EPK7Q6F
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Long delays were reported at the Canadian-U.S. border on Monday (August 6) as Ottawa finally opened doors to fully vaccinated American tourists for the first time in 16 months, causing a rush of tourists to travel north during the busy summer season.
    Government data showed a seven-hour wait time for the Fort Frances, Ontario, and International Falls, Minnesota, crossing. Fort Frances advertises itself online as "rarely experiencing delays."
    Several crossings in Ontario and New Brunswick - between the states of New York and Maine - had waits of three hours.
    Canada barred all leisure travel from the United States in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as of August 9 fully vaccinated travelers are able to enter the country. International travelers who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to enter in early September.
    Late on Friday, the Canadian government and border staff reached a tentative deal to end a strike action that began earlier in the day.
    Prior to the pandemic, tourism was the fifth-largest industry in Canada, contributing $83.4 billion to the GDP and providing one in ten jobs, according to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.
    (Production: Jennifer Gauthier, Kevin Fogarty, Scott Vaughan)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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