Biden diverges with Canada and extends border restrictions until at least Aug. 21

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OTTAWA — The Biden administration renewed its restrictions at the U.S.-Canada land border Wednesday for at least another month in a move that signals a new divergence between the neighbors in public-health policy at the frontier.

The move comes a couple of days after the Trudeau government took first steps to reopen the frontier to fully vaccinated, nonessential American travelers.

The U.S. decision was quickly met Wednesday by frustration from at least one U.S. lawmaker who represents a border district. The White House should expect more push back from other politicians, the business community and families separated from loved ones on the other side of the boundary.

The Biden administration made the announcement the same day a month-to-month bilateral arrangement keeping the Covid-19 restrictions in place was set to expire. The document outlining the renewal also said the measures will enforced until Aug. 21, but noted they could be amended or rescinded before that date.

“This document announces the decision of the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to continue to temporarily limit the travel of individuals from Canada into the United States at land ports of entry along the United States-Canada border,” said the notice issued by the office of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. “Such travel will be limited to 'essential travel,' as further defined in this document.”

Canada, where the rising vaccination rate surpassed that of the U.S. in recent days, is taking a different approach.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government announced Monday that it will ease border restrictions Aug. 9 for fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents looking to visit Canada for discretionary travel.

Pressure building: Business leaders, families and lawmakers in districts along the U.S. northern border have been pressing Trudeau and President Joe Biden for months to reopen the shared land crossings to nonessential travel.

Following Canada’s announcement this week, the focus and the pressure has been directed at Biden to produce a reopening plan.

“The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publicly advise that fully vaccinated Americans are free to safely resume all pre-pandemic activity,” said Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.), co-chair of the Congressional Northern Border Caucus, to the House of Representatives on Tuesday. “It is time for the United States to align its border policy with the science, with the facts and with the data. Action is long overdue. Open the U.S. border to our Canadian neighbors.”

He added that Americans were promised back on Jan. 21 that a reopening plan would be delivered within 14 days.

“180 days have now passed,” Higgins said. “We are still waiting for that plan.”

Higgins, who has been among the most-vocal U.S. lawmakers calling for border restrictions to be loosened, applauded Canada’s announcement.

In response to the U.S. extension Wednesday, Higgins called the move “illogical” in a statement.

“For months now people and businesses along the border have been strung along month after month holding out hope for the border to reopen” he said. “Today’s decision by the Biden administration harms economic recovery and hurts families all across America’s northern border; this is completely unnecessary. While the United States does nothing, loved ones remain separated and communities whose economies rely on the cross-border exchange continue to suffer economically.”

From the prime minister: Following Canada’s announcement, Trudeau said every country will make its own call on how and when it will peel back Covid measures at the border.

“They will follow their science, they will make their own decisions,” he told a press conference Tuesday when asked about the U.S. plan. “We will work with them to make sure that we’re coordinating as best as possible, but Canada is not going to any more dictate what the U.S. should be doing around its border policy than we would accept the U.S. to dictate to us around our border policy.”

Trudeau reminded reporters that both vaccinated and unvaccinated Canadians have been allowed to fly to the U.S. for discretionary travel throughout the pandemic. Canada, he noted, barred entry to nonessential travelers by both land and air.

“The Americans have always had an asymmetrical arrangement with us,” Trudeau said.

More on Ottawa’s plan: Starting at 12:01 a.m. ET on Aug. 9, fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents residing in the U.S. will be allowed to enter Canada for nonessential travel.

Canada will continue to deny entry to those who have yet to be fully vaccinated unless they are already exempt under the Quarantine Act.

Officials said Canada would also renew the monthly agreement with the U.S., but added that they will be amended in time for the Aug. 9 changes.

Canada also announced plans to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from other countries starting Sept. 7.

Getting through the door: To enter Canada, travelers must have received their full series of a vaccine — approved by Health Canada — at least 14 days prior to arriving at the border.

The approved vaccines are Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. Canadian officials say they are actively studying whether to eventually accept individuals who received doses of other vaccines.

Those arriving in Canada must provide evidence of their vaccination in English, French or a certified translation in addition to the original. Travelers will also be required to upload Covid-related information, including proof of vaccination, through the ArriveCan app or web portal before departure to Canada.

Fully vaccinated visitors must also be asymptomatic upon arrival and meet pre-entry screening requirements, including a new border program that randomly selects people to complete a Covid test the day of their arrival.

In case travelers fail to meet all of the conditions, they are required to have a suitable quarantine plan ready to present at the border.