The Canada-U.S. border will remain closed to non-essential travel for another 30 days until October 21st. With the restrictions in place, all travel related to tourism, recreation, and entertainments is prohibited by land, water, air, and rail. This includes opening or checking on a cottage or seasonal home.
The restriction on discretionary travel was put in place on March 21st in an effort to mitigate COVID-19 transmission. According to the Canada Border Services Agency, during the week of August 31st to September 6, 2020, travel volumes were down 85% for those crossing via land, and 91% at airports compared to the same time a year ago. There are no restrictions on commercial traffic, but it was around 18% lower.
An online survey of 1,000 Canadians done by Research Co. found that 90% agreed with the closure, though the tourism industry has been negatively affected in both countries.
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
