Q. When will the land border to the United States reopen?
The United States had already announced in late September that new vaccine requirements would be in effect from November, but had not announced the date. It’s now done: on Monday, November 8, properly vaccinated travelers from Canada or Mexico will be able to cross the land border to the United States. And unlike those who fly by plane, they won’t have to take a negative drug test at the border.
Q. What will be the vaccine requirements at the border?
All adult travelers, whether arriving by land, sea or air, will need to be vaccinated and show proof of vaccination. It is not yet clear whether children eligible for vaccination (12 years and older) must also show proof of vaccination. The United States has already indicated that it will accept vaccine evidence for any of the vaccines recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), which includes (in addition to vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen licensed in the United States) AstraZeneca, Covishield, Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines.
People crossing the border for essential reasons (such as truck drivers) will have until January to present full proof of vaccination.
Q. What about mixed vaccination (combination of two doses from different manufacturers)? Will it be accepted?
Good news for the nearly 4 million Canadians who have had two different vaccines and who want to travel to the United States: they will be considered adequately vaccinated, the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Friday evening. “People who have received a two-dose combination of a two-dose series of COVID-19 vaccines approved / cleared by the FDA or listed by the WHO for emergency use are considered fully immunized,” the US regulatory authority said. Although the CDC has “not recommended mixing vaccine types in a primary series, we recognize that this is increasingly common in other countries and therefore should be accepted for interpretation of immunization records.” , we added in the same written statement.
Q. Will a negative drug test still be required at the US border?
Yes, but only for travelers arriving by air. People crossing the land border into the United States will not need to be tested before crossing.
There are basically two types of screening tests for COVID-19. The first, the molecular chain polymerization (PCR) test, is the one used in public testing centers in Canada. The second, the antigen test, is faster and less sensitive than PCR, and costs much less. The antigen test is not accepted as proof of screening at Canadian customs… but it is accepted to enter the United States. Andrew D’Amours, of the travel information site Flytrippers, strongly advises travelers to shop for their test before departure. Thus, if it costs about $ 150 to do an antigen test in a private laboratory installed at Trudeau airport, private clinics offer this service for less than $ 100 elsewhere in the city. “And unlike Canada, which requires a test done within 72 hours of arrival in the country, the United States accepts that it be done during the three full days before departure. ”
Q. And what about the tests to return to Canada?
The screening test remains mandatory before entering Canada for all travelers aged 5 and over, regardless of the route taken or the vaccination status. Unlike the United States, the antigen test is not allowed to enter Canada. Travelers must present a molecular test result performed within 72 hours of arrival. The PCR test costs more, but Andrew D’Amours points out the existence of the nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), also accepted at the Canadian border. Some pharmacies in the United States, he says, offer this test for free to their customers, without having to show proof of residence (the hotel address is sufficient).
For travel of less than 72 hours, Canada accepts that the molecular test be done before departure from Canada. For example, a traveler who would like to spend an afternoon or a weekend in New England might do a molecular test before leaving, or find a place in the United States that will quickly provide them with a test result.
Note that children under 12 are not subject to quarantine on return, but must still avoid public places (including schools and daycares) for 14 days after returning home.
Q. When I enter the United States, when will I be asked for proof of vaccination?
Proof of vaccination is still little used in the United States. Some cities or companies are starting to require it. In San Francisco, you must show proof of vaccination of two doses of a vaccine recognized by the WHO to sit at a restaurant. In New York, you only need to have received a single dose of one of these vaccines to see the doors of restaurants, bars or theaters open. Please note that written and detailed proof of the doses received must be presented – the Quebec QR code cannot always be read outside Quebec. The Department of Health’s “self-service portal” allows you to download and print the proof that shows the QR code and details of the vaccines received.
- With Mélanie Marquis, Press
Precision
This article has been modified from its original version to correct information regarding the US border screening test requirement.