Canada to reopen border to vaccinated Americans beginning August 9

WHAT PRIME MINISTER JUSTINTRUDEAU SAID LAST WEEK.

THEBORDER WILL BE OPEN TOVACCINATED AMERICANS ON AUGUST9TH.

THE BORDER HAS BEENCLOSED TO NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVELSINCE MARCH OF LAST YEAR.

THISHAS RESULTED IN A BIG DROP-OFFIN TRAFFIC ACROSS THE PEACEBRIDGE.

TOTAL TRAFFIC FOR THEFIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEARIS DOWN ALMOST 37- PERCENTFROM 2020 -- AND MORE THAN67-PERCENT FROM 2019.PART OF THE RE- OPENING PLANIS BASED ON CANADA'S INCREASEDVACCINATION RATE.

MORE THANHALF OF ALL CANADIANS ARE NOWFULLY- VACCINATED -- OUTPACINGTHE U- S AFTER LAGGING BEHINDFOR MONTHS.

TONIGHT PHEBENKASSAHUN TAKES A CLOSER LOOKAT WHEN YOU CAN CROSS INTOCANADA}} THE HONOURABLE PATTYHAJDU//MINISTER OF HEALTH17-25 "IN MARCH OF 2020, WEIMPLEMENTED SOME OF THESTRICTEST BORDER MEASURES OFTHE WORLD.

WE RESTRICTEDNONESSENTIAL TRAVEL, AND WEPREVENTED THE IMPORTATION OFCOVID-19." CANADIAN GOVERNMENTOFFICIALS ARE NOW MOVINGTOWARDS A NEW NORMAL..

EASINGTRAVEL RESTRICTIONS IN LAYERS.THE HONOURABLE PATTYHAJDU//MINISTER OF HEALTH38-46 "TRAVELERS WILL HAVE TOBE FULLY VACCINATED WITH AHEALTH CANADA AUTHORIZEDVACCINE AT LEAST 14 DAYS PRIORTO ENTERING THE COUNTY."BEGINNING AUGUST 9TH, THECOUNTRY PLANS TO ALLOW ENTRYTO FULLY VACCINATED U.S.CITIZENS AND PERMANENT U.S.RESIDENTS.

ALL TRAVELERS MUSTBE VACCINATED AT LEAST 14 DAYSPRIOR TO ENTERING CANADA.

THEHONOURABLE BILLBLAIR//MINISTER OF PUBLICSAFETY AND EMERGENCYPREPAREDNESS "THEY MUSTCONTINUE TO PROVIDE PROOF OF AVALID COVID-19 MOLECULAR TEST,AS IS CURRENTLY REQUIRED.

THEYMUST ALSO BE ASYMPTOMATIC." 7//BUTTED// THE HONOURABLEPATTY HAJDU//MINISTER OFHEALTH "WE WILL SHIFT TO AMANDATORY, RANDOMIZED TESTINGFOR FULLY VACCINATEDTRAVELERS.

TO ONLY THOSE WHOHAVE BEEN RANDOMLY SELECTEDWILL NEED TO COMPLETE A DAY 1TEST.

THIS SHIFT ALLOWS US TOFOCUS ON UNVACCINATEDTRAVELERS, WHILE STILL KEEPINGTRACK OF NEW VARIANTS."CHILDREN UNDER 12 WILL BEEXEMPT FROM QUARANTINING BUTWILL HAVE TO FOLLOW STRICTPUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES.

THEHONOURABLE PATTYHAJDU//MINISTER OF HEALTH"THIS MEANS THEY CAN ACCOMPANYTHEIR PARENT OR GUARDIAN OUTOF THE HOUSE TO THEIRDESTINATION, SO LONG AS THEYAVOID GROUP SETTINGS LIKESUMMER CAMPS, SCHOOL OR CHILDCARE FOR 14 DAYS."" ONSEPTEMBER 7TH, CANADIANOFFICIALS PLAN TO ALLOW ENTRYFOR FULLY VACCINATED TRAVELERSFROM ANY COUNTRY FOR NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVELING.

HOWEVER-- THE RESTRICTION ON DIRECTCOMMERCIAL AND PRIVATEPASSENGER FLIGHTS TO CANADAFOM INDIA IS BEING EXTENDEDFOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS, UNTILAUGUST 21.

THE HONOURABLE OMARALGHABRA//MINISTER OFTRANSPORT CANADA "AS AREMINDER, PASSENGERS WHODEPART FROM INDIA FOR CANADA,VIA AN INDIRECT ROUTE, MUSTSTILL OBTAIN A VALID COVID-19TEST RESULT FROM A 3RD COUNTRYBEFORE BOARDING A FLIGHT FORCANADA.WHILE VACCINATED U.S.TRAVELERS WILL BE ABLE TOVISIT CANADA, IT IS IMPORTANTO NOTE THAT AS OF NEWS TIMETHE U.S. HAS NOT ANNOUNCED ARECIPRICAL REOPENING OF ITSBORDERS.THE BORDER ANNOUNCEMENT COMEAS WE CONTINUE TO SEE COVID-19CASE NUMBERS RISE.

WESTERN NEWYORK'S 7-DAY POSITIVE TESTAVERAGE IS NOW THE HIGHEST ITHAS BEEN SINCE BEFORE MEMORIALDAY.

STATEWIDE -- THE 7-DAYAVERAGE IS AT ITS HIGHEST MARKSINCE MAY 12