NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Canada has now dropped the testing requirement for fully vaccinated travelers.
So if you are only partially vaccinated, or haven't had a shot at all, you will still need to provide a negative COVID PCR test result to head to Canada.
For anyone who wants to cross over, you also need the ArriveCan app. It's free, and you can get it through the Apple store or Google Play.
You can also fill it out online on the website, if you don't have a smartphone.
You need to upload your vaccination status to that app within 72 hours of traveling to Canada.
"So as long as it's within 72 hours, then your processing will be much smoother at the point of entry because our officers will have all that information available to them digitally, instead of having to ask every individual traveler for their proof of vaccination, paper copy, things like that," said Michael Prosia, director of the Southwest Ontario region of the Canada Border Security Agency.
Kids under 5 don't need to show proof of vaccination.
Canada is still doing random testing, though.
So a border agent will hand out a take-home test, but you will still be able to cross the border. You will have then have to mail in your test result to Canada's Public Health Department.
The Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls are already benefitting from the eased restrictions. Before the pandemic, general manager John Doran says about 30 percent of the shoppers coming to the outlet mall were from Canada.
They finally started coming back when the border reopened in November, but haven't seen the same numbers. Now he's hoping to see even more of them come back because of these eased restrictions.
"We're very excited that today is here," Doran said.
He says he's expecting the change at the border to encourage more Canadians to support business here today and this weekend.
Kumal Anwar of Mississauga, Ontario, just came back to the outlet mall after two years.
"How does it feel to actually be back across the border? It feels so good, it feels so good. It feels like you can do things normally, what we used to do," Anwar said.
There were several Ontario license plates in the parking lot.
It was up to $200 for a COVID test that had previously kept some Canadian shoppers away from Western New York.
"We can but a lot of stuff down (here in Western New York) that we can't get across the border, and the deals are pretty good. But you throw in the cost of a PCR test or a rapid test and it wasn't worth it," Dave Higgins of Ontario said.
However, there's still that testing requirement for some travelers, which Doran says could affect how much Canadian foot traffic the mall continues to see.
"The return to normal isn't going to be overnight. It won't take days or weeks. We're probably months or possibly a year or two away from seeing those 2019 numbers. but the important thing today is that we've taken a huge step in easing the restrictions for our Canadians and international shoppers to revisit Western New York and get the ball rolling," Doran said.