DETROIT – The travel restrictions between the United States and Canada has been extended by another month.
The U.S.-Canada border has been closed to nonessential travel since March 2020.
In December 2020, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the ban on nonessential travel with the United States will not be lifted until COVID-19 is significantly more under control around the world.
READ: Canada: US border measures to last until COVID is under control
To deter the spread of #COVID19 and protect our citizens, the United States is continuing restrictions on non-essential travel at our land borders through May 21, while maintaining the flow of essential trade and travel as we have for over a year.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) April 20, 2021
For people unable to see their loved ones on either side of the border, frustration is reaching a new level.
“You guys can go see your family members and other states, like we’re stuck,” said Katerina St. Louis. “We have friends over there that we haven’t seen in a year.”
The past year has been somewhat of a nightmare for St. Louis. Since the border restrictions were put in place in March 2020, St. Louis and many others haven’t been able to travel across the border, even though other forms of travel are allowed.
“I have family in St. Clair Shores. I can’t get in my car and cross by myself to go see my family,” St. Louis said. “But I can get on a plane through Toronto with thousands of people on a crowded flight to fly to Detroit. Like, does that make any sense?”
But, is the flight worth the headache that follows?
“If we fly anywhere, when we fly back into Toronto that we have to pay $2,000 to get tested again,” St. Louis said. “We have to pay $2,000 to stay in this hotel for three days.”
Lastly, she also concerned about her fellow Canadian’s access to the vaccine.
“You guys are vaccinating two and a half million people a day,” St. Louis said. “We have we’ve only vaccinated four million people. Like, I don’t understand.”
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Public Health Agency of Canada released the following statement Wednesday: