Madison Kwiecinski 

News Editor

Mvk5945@psu.edu 

As of Monday November 8, the United States and Canada borders have reopened for travel. However even with borders reopened and increased levels of travel being permitted, there are obstacles that need to be completed in both countries upon entry. 

Every individual who enters Canada, including Canadian citizens, must take a COVID-19 test and receive negative results within 72 hours after entering the country. This is a reasonable safety request of citizens, but can become complicated quickly when it comes to getting testing results in a limited time frame. The Canadian government is not currently accepting rapid antigen tests as a way of satisfying the testing requirement. 

The Detroit-Windsor tunnel also reopened Monday, and is one of the more common means of traveling from the US to Canada. Neal Belitsky, who is the CEO of the company that owns and operated that tunne, said there was a line at the international border crossing just before midnight Sunday, but that the steady stream of traffic did not last long throughout the day. 

Belitsky also stated that the tunnel is not typically that busy at the time of night, but that it is likely many people were anxious to get back into the country and visit with family. Traffic had stalled by 5:30 a.m. with some brief periods of people entering throughout the day afterwards. 

With the holidays approaching quickly, more visitors may enter the U.S. to get away from Canadian winters and to spend time with family. Many Canadian travelers come to the U.S. to prepare for winter in the warmer southern states like Florida. 

Monday marked the reopening of U.S. borders to many international travelers as well, as long as they are fully vaccinated, with few exceptions. Canadian and Mexican land borders reopened, and international travel is likely to pick up nationwide as the holidays approach. 

Border states have suffered economic consequences throughout the pandemic because of the halt on foreign travel. Prior to the pandemic, for states like New Mexico and Michigan international travel was a way of life before COVID-19, and local businesses were often frequented by Canadian and Mexican citizens. 

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who was accompanied by U.S. and Mexican officials at a celebratory news conference at the San Ysidro crossing, said the economic losses were hefty and that the separation from family has been “immeasurable.” According to AP News, retail saids in San Ysidro fell about 75 percent from pre-covid standard, and that nearly 300 businesses have had to close there. 

Hopefully, in the upcoming weeks the U.S. will see a boost in airline travel and an increase in local spending in border states. As long as COVID-19 protocols remain in place and testing requirements continue, safe travel should be able to continue for the foreseeable future.