Buffalo, New York Area Congressman Responds to Canada’s Announcements Related to Border COVID-19 Testing Measures
A News Release from the Buffalo, New York Office of U.S. Democratic Congressman Brian Higgins
Posted November 19th, 2021 on Niagara At Large
Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York area Congressman Brian Higgins
Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) provided the following statement in response to announcements made by the Canadian government related to planned changes to border management policies.
Higgins said, “Of course we welcome action that removes obstacles to cross border travel for those fully vaccinated, but changes from both the U.S. and Canadian governments, have come at a frustratingly slow pace, in a disjointed manner, and with puzzling reasoning that doesn’t follow the science.
“Today’s (November 19th) announcement is no different. The public is again left confused and waiting for more information. The same standard should be applied to all vaccinated travelers regardless of which side of the border you are crossing into or where you live.”
The announcements included:
Vehicles waiting to cross into the U.S. at the Peace Bridge connecting Fort Erie, Ontario and Buffalo, New York. For the first time since March,2020 when the border crossings were closed to all but essential traffic, they are about to get busy again.
* Effective November 30, 2021, vaccinated Canadians traveling abroad for less than 72 hours will no longer have to provide proof of a negative COVID test when returning to Canada by land or air.
* This change applies to Canadians only. There was no further information released today related to testing requirements on vaccinated Americans traveling into Canada.
* Effective January 15, 2022, reducing the number of people who are currently exempt from the vaccination requirement.
Buffalo area Congressman Brian Higgins (left) and Canada’s Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino at a meeting to discuss border issues in Washington, D.C. earlier this week . Photo courtesy of the Congressman’s office.
Rep. Higgins, who serves as Co-Chair of both the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group and the Congressional Northern Border Caucus discussed the COVID testing policy with both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino during meetings in Washington, D.C. this week.
Higgins considers the testing requirement for vaccinated travelers to be redundant and a barrier to restoring the pre-pandemic flow of travel. He expressed his desire to see the requirement dropped for Americans in communications with President Biden and Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s Ambassador to the United States.
For more on the testing decision for Canada-U.S. border crossers, click on – <https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2021/11/government-of-canada-announces-adjustments-to-canadas-border-measures.html>
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