by Jim Byers
Last updated: 9:20 PM ET, Thu May 27, 2021
There are lots of rumblings about an opening of the U.S.-Canada border, and the talk is coming from both Canada and the U.S.
A published report in Washington state on Thursday quoted unnamed U.S. Border Patrol sources as saying the U.S. would open its border with Canada on June 22. But a White House spokesperson said the U.S. hasn't made any decision about how or when to reopen the border with Canada, and denied that American patience with the border closure is wearing thin.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said she was not aware that any decisions had been made about the border beyond last week's news that the restrictions, which have been in place since March 2020 and allow only essential travel to cross the border, would be extended to June 21.
"I don't think a decision has been made, that I'm aware of, about what would happen after that," she said.
Canadian Press reported that officials in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office did not confirm or deny the report. Instead, it's said that Trudeau pointed 'to his insistence that it would take 75 per cent of Canadians getting vaccinated before restrictions can be lifted."
Roughly 61 per cent of Canadians have had their first dose already, and more vaccines are arriving every week.
"Conversations are ongoing constantly with the U.S. administration because there is much eagerness to get back to normal on all sides," Trudeau said on Thursday
The Prime Minister said the first step is to wrestle Canada's COVID numbers down to where minor flare-ups can be managed more effectively and tamped down before they spread. The second step would be to reach the 75 per cent vaccination threshold.
"Getting the vaccination numbers up above 75 per cent across the country is going to allow for a much better posture on reopening, including around what we do with the U.S. border and international borders," the PM said
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