Topline
In November, the U.S. will lift all restrictions on travel to its land borders with Canada or Mexico for fully vaccinated travelers. This ends a 19-month-old restriction on non-essential travel that was put in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Due to the... [+] Covid-19 pandemic, the United States' borders with Canada and Mexico remain closed since March 2020. Getty Images
The Key Facts
According to several outlets, Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security Secretary will officially announce the new rules on Wednesday. They will apply to land and ferry crossings into Mexico. The Biden administration has been pressed by several U.S. legislators and the governments of Canada, Mexico and Canada to lift restrictions that have been in place for several months. The country will continue to ban unvaccinated travellers from entering. This move to open the country's land border follows a similar ban on air travel that was lifted by the Biden administration. It allows all fully vaccinated travelers to enter the country. Visitors who travel to the U.S. via road, rail, or ferry will not need to show proof of negative COVID-19 tests, as long as they have met the vaccination requirements. All essential travelers, such as truck drivers, will need to be fully immunized starting in January.
Tangent
Reuters was told by officials of the administration that despite lifting land border restrictions, the Biden White House would not lift "Title 42", an order imposed by Donald Trump's former presidency that effectively blocked entry to asylum for hundreds upon thousands of Mexican immigrants.
Important Quote
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., shared the following statement with the New York Times: Finally, the New York-Canadian frontier will be opened again to vaccinated travellers from both countries...This reopening is welcome news for many businesses, medical providers and families that rely on travel across the northern border.
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