Canada-U.S. border restrictions extended to July 21
Published June 18, 2021 at 9:57 pm
The hard targets for Canada with regard to possibly lifting U.S. border restrictions are 75 and 20 per cent.
On Friday, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announced that the current U.S. land border measures would remain in place until July 21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Commerce and trade, as well as the movement of vital health-care workers, are exempt from the now 15-month-old restrictions.
“We’re not out of this pandemic yet, we’re still seeing cases across the country and we want to get them down,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Ottawa on Friday. “At the same time, we also know we have to hit our targets of 75 per cent vaccinated with the first dose, at least 20 per cent vaccinated with the second dose before we can start loosening things up because even a fully vaccinated individual can pass on COVID-19 to someone who is not vaccinated.”
Blair also noted that the government will provide further details on Monday about its phased approach to easing restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals.
Our number one priority as we fight #COVID19 is keeping Canadians safe. In coordination with the U.S., we are extending restrictions on non-essential international travel and with the United States until July 21st, 2021.
— Bill Blair (@BillBlair) June 18, 2021
As we have said, the government is planning measures for fully vaccinated Canadians, Permanent Residents, and others who are currently permitted to enter Canada and will provide further details on Monday, June 21.
— Bill Blair (@BillBlair) June 18, 2021
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The prime minister was alluding to national COVID-19 vaccination numbers.
Peel Region is likely to get a large portion of an incoming influx of 11 million of Moderna vaccines. Trudeau said Friday that Canada is on track now to have 68 million doses delivered by the end of July, which is more than enough to fully vaccinate all 33.2 million Canadians over the age of 12.
Here is how Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, Halton Region and Niagara Region are faring with reaching those targets:
- Peel Region (Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon) has, at its last update, given one dose to 63.7 per cent of residents age 12 and up. It has given second doses to 11.3 per cent of eligible recipients. It also reached 75 per cent first dose coverage among adults aged 18 and over on June 10.
- Durham Region’s age 18-and-over population is is at 71.6 per cent for one dose, with 19.2 per cent fully vaccinated.
- Hamilton has 71.8 per cent coverage for first doses, and 19 per cent for seconds.
Hamilton COVID-19 Vaccination Update as of June 18, 2021. https://t.co/omSK3hqSiC pic.twitter.com/oDG0pBK8DJ
— City of Hamilton (@cityofhamilton) June 18, 2021
- Halton Region, as of Thursday, had reached 75 per cent for first doses. It is at 15 per cent for second doses.
#HaltonON COVID-19 vaccination update: As of Thursday, June 17, 412,206 Halton residents 12+ (75%) have received at least one dose of #COVID19 vaccine and 84,307 (15%) have received both doses. To learn more or book a vaccination appointment online, visit: https://t.co/gB3TiTxRqw pic.twitter.com/CFKEvpA9dN
— Halton Region (@RegionofHalton) June 18, 2021
- Niagara Region has 64.5 per cent first dose coverage, and 14.2 per cent for second doses as of Friday morning.
Friday, Trudeau said the government is taking a two-tracked approach to develop a vaccine documentation framework. There were media reports on Thursday of fully vaccinated Canadians being refused entry to places in the United States if their first dose was of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccaine.
“First of all, in the initial phase, we’re going to be working with the AriveCAN app in ways that people an image of their paper proof of vaccination or online proof of vaccination so that the border agents on their return to Canada can verify indeed that they are fully vaccinated,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau added the government is working with the provinces on a “national certification of vaccination status” that he assures will be accepted globally.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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