U.S. move to keep Canadian border closed ‘perplexing’

Last week, Ottawa announced that it will reopen its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from the United States as of Aug. 9, while fully vaccinated travellers from other countries will be able to enter the country as of Sept. 7. Business industry groups welcomed the easing of border restrictions, saying it will be good for the economy as well as for the hard-hit travel and tourism sectors.

But the United States is taking a different approach. The Biden administration extended the restrictions in place on non-essential travel until at least Aug. 21, a move that was met with criticism from politicians and businesses on both sides of the border.

On this episode of Crisis Management, Alicja Siekierska and the Public Policy Forum’s Sean Speer discuss the U.S. decision, and what it may take to speed up the easing of border restrictions.