Canada Begins Allowing Vaccinated US Citizens to Visit Again

Canada is lifting its prohibition on Americans crossing the border to shop, vacation or visit, but the United States is keeping similar restrictions in place for Canadians.

The reopening Monday is part of a bumpy return to normalcy from COVID-19 travel bans.

The border has been closed to nonessential travel since March 2020 to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

We spoke with members of UMD economic department who were part of a larger research project which examined impacts on the border.

They say, with a nearly one-hundred percent decline in travel as opposed to the previous years have had a huge effect on resorts and tourism in the northern part of the state.

“That area has a lot of resorts and fishing charters and things like that that have had virtually no business for the past year and a half,” UMD Director of Business & Economic Research, Monica Haynes says.

“This season is going to be obviously a slow one even with the new restrictions being lifted.”

The U.S. has said it will extend its closure to Canadians making nonessential trips until at least Aug. 21, which also applies to the Mexican border.

Currently the wait in International Falls to get into Canada is seven hours.