The restrictions are currently in place through October 21.

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — In a joint letter Wednesday, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Angus King (I-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) called on President Trump to reevaluate the ongoing restrictions currently placed on non-essential travel across the U.S.-Canada border. 

The restrictions are currently in place through October 21.

“At this time, the risks of significant cross-border transmission of COVID-19 in numerous border jurisdictions appear to be low,” the senators said in a press release.

“The protracted closure of the world’s longest international land border to all but essential travel has put immense strain on the communities that straddle the border,” the senators wrote. “Many people that reside along our shared border with Canada are part of remote, rural communities which rely on one another for essential supplies and services.”

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In March, the senators called on the president to consider necessary exemptions to protect public health and safety for businesses and individuals affected by the closure of the U.S.-Canadian border to non-essential travel.

With the travel restrictions still in place, foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens, will not be allowed to enter Canada for any of the following examples of discretionary/optional travel:

  • opening or checking on a cottage or seasonal home
  • sightseeing and hiking
  • boating across the border
  • fishing or hunting
  • visiting friends or partners (outside of spouses or common-law)
  • attending a party or celebration

Healthy, asymptomatic individuals for whom traveling across the border on a day-to-day basis is essential for work and daily life, or asymptomatic immediate family, spouses, or common-law partners of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who meet the immediate family member definition and are coming to Canada for a minimum of 15 days are exempt from the prohibition from entering Canada for a discretionary/optional purpose.

Unless exempt, boaters cannot enter Canadian waters or boundary waters for discretionary or optional reasons. These reasons include: touring, sightseeing, and pleasure fishing.

“We appreciate the need to limit nonessential travel into the United States and Canada in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the populations of our respective nations,” the senators continued“However, just as individual states, provinces, and territories have taken actions to address their unique situations, we believe that border restrictions should reflect the actual, localized risk on both sides of the border.”