Gov. Doug Burgum released the following statement Wednesday after the Biden administration announced it will begin lifting restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border in November to allow nonessential travelers who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to enter the United States via land and ferry. Canada reopened its border to vaccinated U.S. citizens for nonessential travel on Aug. 9.

 

“While this shift in policy unfortunately includes more needless delays, it is a positive and long overdue step toward ending the unnecessary restrictions that have caused real pain to our communities and citizens on both sides of the border as well as our retail and tourism businesses that rely on Canadian travelers,” Burgum said. “We will continue to press the Biden administration – as we have done repeatedly these past several months with our fellow border states and provinces – to lift these restrictions as soon as possible and resume normal travel with Canada, our closest friend, ally and trading partner.”

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement today after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced border restrictions on Canadians seeking to enter the U.S. through land and ferry ports of entry for non-essential reasons will be lifted in November for fully-vaccinated individuals

“Today’s announcement to ease restrictions on non-essential travel between the U.S. and Canada is long overdue. We’ve repeatedly made the case to the Biden administration to safely re-open the border, and this change in policy will be helpful in alleviating disruptions to border communities and our economy.”

Hoeven has been pressing the Biden administration to safely re-open the U.S.-Canada border as soon as possible, including in a Senate committee hearing with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, a letter to President Biden and a bipartisan letter, led by Senator Amy Klobuchar, to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky.

Previously

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says the U.S. will reopen its land borders to nonessential travel next month, ending a 19-month freeze due to the COVID-19 pandemic. International visitors will need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Vehicle, rail and ferry travel between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico has been largely restricted to essential travel, such as trade, since the beginning of the pandemic. The rules announced Wednesday will allow fully vaccinated foreign nationals U.S. entry regardless of the reason for travel. That starts in early November, when a similar easing of restrictions kicks in for air travel. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says he’s “pleased to be taking steps to resume regular travel.”