“This administration’s silence on the northern border is maddening,” said Higgins, who has been asking to meet with President Joe Biden’s government officials for an explanation. “Now that the border has been closed for 16 months, and it is still increasing, people should know how to reopen the U.S. border to Canadians.”

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene from the Washington State Office stated that she “still feels frustrated because we have not received a clear answer from the government regarding the extension of the closure period.

Just after Ottawa announced that fully vaccinated Americans could enter Canada from August 9th, news came that the land borders of the United States would remain closed until at least August 21st.

Many people had expected that the United States would follow Canada’s example. The US blockade order was not as strict as Canada from the beginning; for example, it allowed air travel into the US. The number of COVID-19 cases in Canada is lower than that in the United States, and the vaccination rate is higher.

A week after the announcement that the land borders of the United States would remain closed, the Department of Homeland Security continued to provide the same vague explanation.

“In order to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including the Delta virus, the United States has extended the restrictions on non-essential travel by land and ferry crossings between us and Canada and Mexico to August 21, while ensuring necessary trade and The continued flow of travel,” Angelo Fernandez Hernandez, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a media statement.

“The Department of Homeland Security has been in contact with colleagues in Canada and Mexico to determine the conditions under which restrictions can be relaxed safely and sustainably.”

Fear of delta variants

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki pointed out to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that the decision to maintain border closures and travel restrictions is the result of its guidance.

Psaki said: “I think their decision is based on the fact that delta variants are more easily spread and are spreading around the world,” Psaki said, noting that it is also spreading in the United States-especially in the unvaccinated United States Among people.

CDC has not yet responded to CBC News’ questions.

On Tuesday, the CDC stated that even those who are fully vaccinated can spread the COVID-19 delta variant. It is now recommended that those who are fully vaccinated wear a mask when entering indoor public places in areas where COVID-19 is highly spread.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, is one of the few people who offer any hints about what happened behind the scenes.

“I can tell you that the border situation and the entry of fully vaccinated Canadians is an area that the U.S. government is currently actively discussing,” he told CBC News. Power and politics on Friday.

Watch: Dr. Anthony Fauci says the status of the Canada/U.S. border is the focus of “active discussions” in Washington

In an exclusive interview with Canadian Power & Politics, Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to US President Joe Biden, said that the White House is discussing the possibility of allowing fully vaccinated Canadians to enter the United States. 13:24

Former U.S. ambassador to Canada, Bruce Hyman, said that the U.S. may not be ready to follow Canada’s example in opening its borders.

Heyman said: “It is very likely that the United States said,’We are not ready yet, we have not decided on the procedures and procedures for opening the land border,'” He added that Canada will not announce it if the United States is uncomfortable Relax border measures.

Hyman said that the United States has not yet resolved some key issues regarding land borders, such as whether people entering from Canada need to provide vaccination certificates or undergo COVID testing.

“If so, which tests and which vaccines are eligible and which are not?” Hyman asked. “I think it is still unclear what kind of procedures the United States will implement.”

He said Mexico is also a factor.

Two-world problem

“Canada only borders the United States, but borders the United States (Canada) and Mexico. When deciding its borders, it is very complicated to say’on one of our borders we are doing x, and on the other border we’ are very complicated. Be you,'” Hyman said. “If possible, you want to merge the entire border policy into one.”

Hyman said that Mexico’s vaccination rate is lower compared to Canada, and the active spread of the delta variant in the United States may also affect Washington’s decision-making when only half of eligible Americans are vaccinated.

He said that ideally, the US government will make a decision on the border issue without having to reverse it quickly.

“I hope they make a decision as soon as possible, but I hope they make a lasting decision,” he said.

Mary Scott Greenwood, head of the Canada-U.S. Business Council in Washington, said that part of the reason the border remains closed may be the uncertain vaccination status of people entering the country.

“I think part of the reason may be that the US government stated that they will not verify or verify whether someone has been vaccinated before someone crosses the border,” she said.

Greenwood’s team regularly talks with US government officials. She said she hopes that the U.S. land border will reopen before August 21, and that the country will not apply the same rules to its northern and southern borders.

“Policy makers, business leaders and communities, not just along the border, are very frustrated with the decision to close for another month,” Greenwood said, adding that some businesses may not survive.

“We hope that the government will revisit this issue next week and find a way to reopen the border to fully vaccinated Canadians. I know that the White House is paying attention to all these voices very carefully and is doing its best to balance what it suffers. pressure.”

Elizabeth Thompson can be reached at [email protected]