Pledges Support to Government s for the Phased Reopening of the U.S.-Canada Border
Over 70 organizations across sectors and modes of transportation are encouraged by the Expert Advisory Panel recommendations that provide a framework for implementation of a balanced and coordinated approach to managing the reopening of the U.S.-Canada border.
VANCOUVER, CANADA, June 1, 2021 – The Future Borders Coalition (FBC) – the bi-national group of over 70 organizations representing all modes of transportation (air, land, maritime), the cargo and logistics industry, as well as the business and tourism sectors – welcomes the proposed framework of border measures for persons entering Canada issued on May 27, 2021, by the Health Canada-appointed COVID-19 Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel. The FBC pledges support to both governments to implement the proposed framework as part of the phased reopening of the border to restore and revitalize the full potential of the U.S.-Canada partnership.
One year ago, the FBC called for the easing of travel restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border based on bi-national coordination and the implementation of a phased and risk-based approach informed by scientific evidence and easy-to-understand criteria for the public. While we continue to support the continuous screening of international arrivals and applaud the current progress on vaccination rates across Canadian provinces and the U.S. border states, we encourage the Government of Canada to move quickly to implement the recommendations of the COVID-19 Expert Advisory Panel.
“We need to make sure that there is a coordinated approach for the reopening of the U.S.-Canada border, supported by digital solutions to verify vaccination and test status that are secure, interoperable, and protect the privacy of users. In that sense, we echo the panel’s recommendation that a system to validate proof of vaccination for arriving passengers should be made available as soon as possible”, said Gerry Bruno, Executive Director and Co-Chair of the Future Borders Coalition.
Matt Morrison, Co-Chair of the Future Border Coalition, added: “Both governments should work on a common approach for reopening of the border that reflects our long-time partnership on areas such as trade, business, education, and tourism. We should also leverage the inter-agency trust built over the years on border policies.”