A group of Canadian mayors from a number of land border municipalities are urging the federal government to drop COVID-19 testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers.
The coalition of mayors from across the country have sent an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asking that the testing be dropped immediately to allow for more American tourists to cross the border.
“As you know, border communities have been at the forefront of the federal strategy and have paid a heavy price with the border being closed to all but essential travel for 20 months. Even now, the border remains under very strict testing guidelines that are not justified by current science and are out of line with public health officers’ mandates.”
– open letter
The letter notes that department officials have been telling border industries that the testing requirements at land borders won’t be reviewed until the end of March.
It also points out that Canadians will be able to attend large spectator events, such as NHL games with 20,000 fans, and not be subject to any COVID-19 testing.
“But fully vaccinated American tourists will not be able to cross over the border in their own family car without an unnecessary, expensive test administered by a health professional. This absurdity will undermine Canadians’ confidence in all levels of government.”
-open letter
The letter includes 14 signatures, including mayors from Windsor, Sarnia and Niagara Falls, and elected officials of other border towns in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.