BUFFALO, N.Y. — Yet another Canada Day has passed with people on the American side of the border unable to cross due to COVID restrictions.
Canadian officials have said reopening the border will depend on the country’s vaccination rate and progress is being made.
For a second consecutive year, border traffic is largely non-existent for Canada Day. Usually, people on our side of the border would be prepping to cross for the Fourth of July.
In Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Day celebrations are subdued again this year, largely due to COVID.
"Normally we’d have hundreds of thousands of people in the city. There would be street vendors, the hotels would be full," said Jim Diodati, the mayor of Niagara Falls, Ontario.
On Wednesday, Ontario loosened COVID restrictions, allowing for increased outdoor gatherings and boosting retail shopping capacity. Personal care services and outdoor entertainment venues can reopen with restrictions.
"We’ve got great protocols in all of our hotels, and all of our attractions are now starting to open up every day. More and more are opening. We’ll be fully up to speed in the next few weeks," Diodati said.
Canadian officials said the reopening of the border won’t happen until 75 percent of Canadians are fully vaccinated.
The latest data shows – 22 percent of Canadians 12 years old and older are fully vaccinated, compared to 54 percent of Americans.
It is important to note that 75 percent of Canadians 12 and up have received at least one dose.
"We have more people that have received one vaccine, but the American side has more people that have received both vaccinations, so the goal is that we're fully vaccinated. Both shots are at a certain level, and that's what they're basing it on. They want to open up safely, and we agree with that," Diodati said.
But many lawmakers say easing border restrictions is long overdue, especially for those who ae fully vaccinated.
"If you’re vaccinated you should be able to cross the border doesn’t matter what the percentage is," U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins said. "This is arbitrary. The federal government in Canada is not following the science not following the data."
On Tuesday, fully vaccinated Canadians who travel for non-essential reasons won’t have to quarantine, the first sign of easing border restrictions.
Non-essential travel to Canada is still restricted until July 21. We’ll have to see whether that order is extended or not.
"It's our objective, it's our hope that by July the 21, that the border is reopened at least to people who are fully vaccinated. We're counting on it. In Niagara Falls, we attract upwards of 14 million people a year to this city, and typically 50 percent of them come from the U.S.," Diodati said.