By Thomas I. Likness
Eagle News Service
(Eagle News) — At least three-quarters of the Canadians population will have to be vaccinated before Canada will reopen its border with the United States to non-essential traffic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
“We’re all eager to get back to normal but we know that before we get back to normal, cases need to be under control and over 75% of people need to be vaccinated for us to start loosening things in Canada,” said Trudeau. “We’ll see what framework we’ll apply to ensure that we are keeping Canadians safe even as we look to eventually changing the restrictions and the posture at the border.”
Trudeau says his government will work with American authorities and Canadian experts on how to move forward in a way that is safe for Canadians.
“We know that we are not yet out of this third wave, we know that there are still real concerns around transmission of the virus but we will continue to work with our partners and hopefully get to a better place when the time is appropriate,” he said.
The border has been closed since March 21, 2020. The closure has been extended on a monthly basis since then. The latest deadline is May 21st, although that will be extended later this week.
(Eagle News Service)