Border Closed – Your Trip to Canada is a No-Go Until July 21st

Now that Summer is upon us you might be looking into taking a vacation, perhaps heading north to Canada. If Toronto or Montreal, for example, is part of your plans, you will have to wait until July 21st as border restrictions have been extended.

NBC 13 reports, fewer than 20% of Canadians are fully vaccinated, so officials are extending the border closing until they reach a higher percentage. Before you get mad at the Canadians you should know that this decision was made in agreement with the United States.

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We're still seeing cases across the country and we want to get them down. At the same time we also know we have to hit our targets of 75% vaccinated with the first dose and at least 20% vaccinated with the second dose before we can start loosening things up because even a fully vaccinated individual can pass on COVID-19 to someone who is not vaccinated. - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

News10 ABC caught up with New York lawmaker Elise Stefanik, who calls the extension 'misguided'.

Extending the travel restrictions for yet another month, despite the tremendous progress the U.S. has made in fully vaccinating Americans and safely reopening, is absolutely inacceptable to the families, businesses, and communities along the northern border. - Stefanik

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer weighed in with:

Instead of endless delays and confusion, we need a concrete plan, based on science and facts, to reopen the northern border for vaccinated individuals.

While we wait for the border to open don't forget, when it comes to recreation, we have plenty to do in the great state of New York. Blue Jays baseball even plays in Buffalo this season. The New York State Fair returns to 100% capacity this Summer, Concerts are returning to SPAC, The Egg, Empire Live, Frog Alley and so many other places. Not to mention all of the nature trails and miles and miles of hiking.

Like everything else that was postponed due to the pandemic, maybe we postpone our trips to Canada until 2022.