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PCR Tests Officially Axed

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Short cross-border trips will soon no longer require a negative COVID-19 PCR test.

The new rule only applies if you’re fully vaccinated and your excursion is less than 72 hours.

The change will come into effect Tuesday, November 30th as announced Friday by officials from the Federal Government.

If your trip is longer than 72 hours, you will still need to provide a negative test which could cost between $150-$300 each. Antigen tests will not be accepted for entry.

Canada opened the borders back in October to fully vaccinated non-essential international travellers and to American visitors in August.

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No Changes For Canadians At U.S. Border

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There are no immediate plans to loosen restrictions at the border for Canadians travelling into the United States.

On Monday, Ottawa announced that U.S. citizens would be able to enter Canada for non-essential reasons on Aug. 9.

They must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to coming to Canada and there will be no need to quarantine upon arrival.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that announcement should not be seen as a reciprocal agreement.

“We are continuing to review our travel restrictions. Any decisions about reopening travel will be guided by our public health and medical experts,” said Psaki.

“We take this incredibly seriously but we look and are guided by own medical experts. I wouldn’t look at it through a reciprocal intention.”

Canadians are able to fly into the U.S. but must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test three days before their trip.

Restrictions at the Canadian border are expected to ease even further on Sept. 9, when fully vaccinated travellers from other countries will be allowed to enter.

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Vaccinated U.S. Citizens Could Come To Canada Next Month

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Ottawa is aiming to allow fully vaccinated U.S. citizens into Canada by mid-August.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau provided the update on a Thursday night call with Canada’s premiers.

The Canada-U.S. border has been closed to non-essential travel since March of last year.

Trudeau said if our current vaccination rate continues, we would be able to welcome fully vaccinated travellers from all countries by early September.

“First Ministers expressed their support of reopening plans, and agreed on the importance of ensuring clarity and predictability as initial steps are taken,” said a readout from the call.

Trudeau said Canada continues to lead G20 countries in vaccination rates with about 80 per cent of eligible Canadians vaccinated with their first dose and more than 50 per cent fully vaccinated.

But the prime minister encouraged “collective momentum” to ensure as many people as possible are fully vaccinated.

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Trump Calls For Cooler Tempers After ‘Heinous’ US Capitol Attack

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President Donald Trump is now condemning what he describes as the “heinous attack” on the US Capitol.

In a video statement posted to Twitter on Thursday night, Trump said he is outraged by the “violence, lawlessness and mayhem” we all witnessed.

“The demonstrated who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy,” said Trump. “To those who engaged in the acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country, and to those who broke the law, you will pay.”

The attack came as Congress was meeting to count the electoral college votes from November’s presidential election.

Despite the delay caused by the attack, Congress affirmed President-elect Joe Biden as the winner early Thursday morning.

Trump said emotions are high after the election, but tempers must now be cooled and calm restored.

“A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th,” he said. “My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power.”

Trump went on to say that serving as president for the past four years has been the honour of his lifetime.

“To all of my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed, but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is only just beginning.”

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Canadian Politicians React To U.S. Election

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Politicians from all stripes across Canada are reacting to the election results south of the border.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he looks forward to working with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

Trudeau said Canada and the United States enjoy an “extraordinary relationship” that is unique on the world stage.

“Our shared geography, common interests, deep personal connections, and strong economic ties make us close friends, partners, and allies,” wrote Trudeau in a statement Saturday.

“We will further build on this foundation as we continue to keep our people safe and healthy from the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and work to advance peace and inclusion, economic prosperity, and climate action around the world.”

Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, in a statement on Twitter, said Canada and the U.S. have a historic alliance.

“Canada’s Conservatives will always work with the U.S. to advance our common values and close economic ties,” said O’Toole.

Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the federal New Democratic Party, also took to Twitter to congratulate Biden and Harris.

Singh said Harris has made history as the first woman and person of colour to be elected vice-president.

“More importantly, you’ve sparked the imagination for generations of young women to come,” he said.

Annamie Paul, the new leader of the Green Party of Canada, also paid tribute to Harris on her historic victory.

Paul said the election is a chance to “usher in a new chapter in the vital U.S.-Canada relationship.”

“We should expect to see enhanced climate commitments across North American,” she said.

Paul said she shares Biden’s commitment to impose Carbon Border Tariffs on carbon-intensive goods from jurisdictions which fail to meet their climate obligations.

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Millions Of Ballots Still To Be Counted In U.S. Election

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Ballots continue to be counted in the United States in an election that is still too close to call.

Democratic candidate Joe Biden had a slight lead over President Donald Trump in the electoral college vote as of early Wednesday.

But even with millions of ballots still to be counted, Trump claimed he has already won and said he will go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“This is a fraud on the American public. This is an embarrassment to our country. We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election. Our goal now is to ensure the integrity for the good of this nation” Trump told supporters early Wednesday.

“We want the law to be used in a proper manner, so we’ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court. We want all voting to stop. We don’t want them to find any ballots at 4 o’clock in the morning and add them to the list.”

Trump suggested on Twitter that votes were still being cast after the polls closed. But Twitter quickly hid the post, saying some or all of the content in the tweet is “disputed and might be misleading.”

Biden, meanwhile, commended his supporters for their patience as the votes continue to be counted.

“We feel good about where we are, we really do. I’m here to tell you tonight we believe we’re on track to win this election,” said Biden.

“We knew because of the unprecedented early vote and the mail-in vote that it’s gonna take a while. We’re gonna have to be patient until the hard work of tallying the votes is finished. It ain’t over until every vote is counted, every ballot is counted.”

As of early Wednesday, CNN is projecting that Trump will win several battleground states, including Florida and Iowa, while Biden is projected to win Colorado and Minnesota.

Other key states are still too close to call, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada.

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Trump To Leave Hospital Monday

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The U.S. president will be returning to the White House on Monday after spending the weekend in the hospital.

Donald Trump tweeted Monday that he will be leaving the Walter Reed Medical Centre on Monday evening.

“Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” said Trump in the tweet.

Trump was admitted to the military hospital on Friday to continue his treatment for COVID-19.

On Sunday, Trump’s medical team said he had experienced two drops in oxygen saturation and was being treated with a steroid typically only recommended for those with severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Another White House staffer, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, tested positive for the virus on Monday.

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U.S. Drops Tariff On Canadian Aluminum

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The United States has dropped its 10 per cent tariff on Canadian aluminum imposed in August.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said imports have declined sharply from the surges experienced earlier in the year.

Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Minister Mary Ng welcomed the news during a news conference Tuesday.

“Tariffs would have harmed workers and industry on both sides of the border, disrupting linked supply chains that have made North American aluminum more competitive around the world,” said Ng.

“It is a testament to the Team Canada approach as we’ve all worked relentlessly to ensure these unjustified tariffs on Canadian aluminum were removed,” she added.

The news came just hours before the Canadian government was set to implement retaliatory measures of its own.

The USTR said Tuesday that tariffs could be reimposed if Canadian exports exceed a certain level.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada will not hesitate to act if that happens.

“Let me be clear: Should tariffs be reimposed on our aluminum exports in the future, Canada will retaliate with perfectly reciprocal dollar-for-dollar tariffs as we have done in the past,” said Freeland.

“We will always stand up for our workers and our industry. We will always stand up for the national interests.”

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Still No Word On US/Canada Border Reopening

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The Prime Minister can’t say if the Canada/US border will reopen next week.

Justin Trudeau is fresh off speaking with President Trump and said discussions are ongoing.

“We’ve pledged to monitor closely the situation that is constantly evolving, we will be discussing with our American partners what our next steps should be. This is a situation that is evolving rapidly and therefore we need to keep responding to the situation on the ground,” Trudeau said.

The latest agreement to keep the border closed to all non-essential travel is set to expire on July 21st.

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Trudeau & Trump Differ On Border Reopening

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It appears Canada’s message to the United States is “not so fast” when it comes to easing travel restrictions along the Canada-US border.

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday our border will be one of the early ones to be released, something Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn’t fully committing to just yet.

“There’s a recognition of as we move forward there will be special thought given to our special relationship but at the same time we know that there is a significant amount of time still before we can talk about loosening said restrictions,” Trudeau said.

Currently, all non-essential travel between the two countries is banned.

The Prime Minister also spoke recently with G7 country leaders about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Trudeau didn’t specify if they spoke about President Trump’s decision to withdraw funding to the World Health Organization.

“There is a need for international coordination and the WHO is an important part of that collaboration. We recognize that there have been questions asked but at the same time it is important we stay coordinated as we move through this,” Trudeau said.

Today, the Prime Minister announced they would expand the Canada Emergency Business Account so more businesses could access it for loans during the pandemic.

The Government of Canada is:

  • Expanding the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) to businesses that paid between $20,000 and $1.5 million in total payroll in 2019. This new range will replace the previous one of between $50,000 and $1 million and will help address the challenges faced by small businesses to cover non-deferrable operating costs. Since the launch of the CEBA on April 9, 2020, more than 195,000 loans have been approved by financial institutions, extending more than $7.5 billion in credit to small businesses.
  • Announcing its intent to introduce the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses. The program will seek to provide loans, including forgivable loans, to commercial property owners who in turn will lower or forgo the rent of small businesses for the months of April (retroactive), May, and June. Implementation of the program will require a partnership between the federal government and provincial and territorial governments, which are responsible for property owner-tenant relationships. We are working with the provinces and territories to increase rent support for businesses that are most impacted by the pandemic and we will have more details to share soon.

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