Thought of the Day - June 22 2021 - First Step

Last Friday it was confirmed that the US border will remain closed until at least July 21st (and let us not forget this includes the US/Mexico border as well). Pressure continues to mount for Ottawa to at least provide a high-level plan for border reopening - particularly for businesses, big and small, and border communities, so they can develop their own response plans.

That said, yesterday there was an announcement labelled - the first step to reopening. Starting July 5 at 11:59 pm EDT some folk returning to Canada, loaded up with Health-Canada approved vaccines at least two weeks in advance, will be able to skip mandatory quarantine and repeat testing, if they have no symptoms and pass the pre and on-arrival rapid tests.

Canadian citizens, residents and "other" eligible individuals are listed as the target audience. They will still need to apply, in advance, using the ArriveCAN app, which will see a revamp and be re-released on July 5. They will need to provide, in advance and on arrival, proof of vaccination and a quarantine plan, just in case.

This is good news for some remaining snowbirds who have yet to travel home, some Canadians who have been holed up in Europe out of fear of quarantine hotels, and I guess for those champing at the bit for a trip aboard in July. All in all, I expect it will make very little difference to most here in BC.

It was emphasized that Canada Border Services officers will be responsible for reviewing and considering each travellers’ circumstances. “It is the traveller's responsibility to plan ahead, to understand their obligations, and to ensure that they are eligible. They should do this before heading to the border,” Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said. In other words, be prepared for all eventualities when CBS considers your case - this is the reason you still need to have an approved quarantine plan in advance, regardless of your status. Sounds like this will be a little ugly in the beginning.

And how about the master reopening plan?

The government said it will continue to monitor the rollout of the eased restrictions and the "evolving science". Vaccination targets tied to reopening, continue to shift. Blair told CBC, that the U.S. border is unlikely to reopen fully until 75 percent of eligible Canadians have been fully vaccinated. Trudeau had previously identified the threshold 75/20 of the total population as a key benchmark to start peeling back public-health restrictions, including those at the border. Now papers are reporting we have reached 75% of 12+ with a single shot, rather than the news that 20% of the total population is now fully vaccinated.

In short, yesterday's announcement is really designed to test the water, to throw a bone to those protesting last week's border closure extension, and to give more time to ready the real announcements. Announcements that I still expect to come at the beginning of July packaged with election news.

Cheers

Cliff