When do you think the border will reopen?

[FigmentSpark]

The difference between welcoming a new Canadian and welcoming Canadians home for a visit is the 14 day quarantine. I have family that has recently moved back to Canada from the US. Canada is now their home, but they are required to quarantine for 14 days before doing anything, including looking for a more permanent residence than their hotel. It will be the same for new immigrants.

For visiting Canadians, if you want to quarantine, then that's the 'price' of the visit. I totally understand the feeling of being isolated from family in another country, but the facts are that you might be carrying invisible hitchhikers with you. You don't want to give those to your family any more than a person living here wants to give them to their family down the street. In that sense, it is the same. In the sense of 'emergency', certainly there are differences. But then, my family is in a different province. I can't visit them without the requisite quarantine, either and while I can come home again, I would have to quarantine at home again, too, making it as difficult as possible for me to see my octogenarian parents who are now relying on their neighbours for that extra help I would have given them in other times.

 

[wdwmom3]

The borders will be open sooner rather than later but I believe the 14 day quarantine will be in place for awhile. Its all cause the U.S. is moving too quickly to get back to normal.

I really don’t think it will. Some states are moving too quickly and it could have really bad implications. Our government will not be quick to open the border if it means risking our recovery at all. The federal government will be under a lot of pressure form many provincial leaders who have come right out and said that they don’t want any travel from the US allowed.

If they open the border I think there will be a lot of outrage here in Canada.

 

[tgropp]

I am very much able to handle hard truth. Its lack of compassion that saddens me.

For your sake, I pray that you are always "down the street" from your loved ones.

As a long time lover of Florida Trips and your past reports , I am also saddened by the lack of compassion. I know the circumstances that have happened to your family the past few years and can understand your desire to come back home to your family that needs you. Stay strong....it won’t be long. I’m thinking sooner rather than later.

 

[Jrb1979]

As a long time lover of Florida Trips and your past reports , I am also saddened by the lack of compassion. I know the circumstances that have happened to your family the past few years and can understand your desire to come back home to your family that needs you. Stay strong....it won’t be long. I’m thinking sooner rather than later.

I doubt its happening soon and if does expect the 14 day quarantine to still be in place. All cause the U.S. isn't taking it as seriously as Canada is. The fact they are already talking about opening Disney by next month is mindboggling.

 

[ottawamom]

Today would have been my last full day of my alternate universe trip to Disney. I love Disney and can't wait to get back there. Disney will open when it opens but I think its going to be quite a while before most of us will be joining in the fun. I do hope there is a suitable vaccine sooner than later as I feel its going to be the only way we aren't going through wave after wave of this for the next two years.

 

[Duck1]

Until people are able to go about their own daily business freely in this country I don't think we have any right to open the border. Lets make sure our residents can move and not spread anything before we allow anyone else in or out to set things back.

The border can stay closed to non essential traffic until there is a vaccine as far as I'm concerned.

And if we never have a vaccine??

 

[bababear_50]

Today would have been my last full day of my alternate universe trip to Disney. I love Disney and can't wait to get back there. Disney will open when it opens but I think its going to be quite a while before most of us will be joining in the fun. I do hope there is a suitable vaccine sooner than later as I feel its going to be the only way we aren't going through wave after wave of this for the next two years.

Absolutely agree with you!
Hugs
Mel

 

[bababear_50]

And if we never have a vaccine??

Respectfully what do you think will happen?

Mel

 

[ottawamom]

And if we never have a vaccine??

Then we have to wait for herd immunity to kick in. That will take 60-70% having been infected and now carrying antibodies.

 

[wdwmom3]

I doubt its happening soon and if does expect the 14 day quarantine to still be in place. All cause the U.S. isn't taking it as seriously as Canada is. The fact they are already talking about opening Disney by next month is mindboggling.

Agreed. And this is why the border won’t open anytime soon. Not because of what’s happening in Canada. Because of what’s happening in the US right now. And because of how bad it could get. The fact that states are opening up while they still have increasing cases is crazy.

 

[damo]

I don't think it just has to be a vaccine that will open things up. If we find treatment that turns the virus into something more like the common cold, then that would change this lock-up drastically as well.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

Family member of mine works for the government /border services, and without getting into too many details - Canada/USA borders will reopen sooner rather than later to non-essential travel. It may happen in phase 1, 2 or 3 but it won’t be as late as 2021... that’s unrealistic. Unless something drastic happens of course. The situation continues to be very fluid. The economy can only survive for so long with everything shut down.
I want it to be totally safe and hope a vaccine will be available... but that can be years.
It’s truly surreal what has transpired in the last 60 days or so
Still - lets all be positive and optimistic. Things will get back to normal, even if that’s the new normal...

 

[pinkle]

Haven't seen this thought mentioned yet, but what about the possibility of a one-way border opening? Like the US opening to allow Canadians in, but Canada not opening to allow Americans in until a much later date? I could see the US deciding to stop waiting on Canada and just opening. Or conversely, I could also see them opening for other foreign internationals but not Canadians until Canada reciprocates...

We live in a border town, but really, aside from having to cancel our annual May camping trip to Michigan, and of course the worry about whether or not we'll be able to do our Aug Disney trip, the border closing hasn't really effected us that much. With the exchange rates were they were, and the increased time taken with crossing (compared to say, a decade or so ago) running over for a day of shopping isn't something we'd do anymore anyways. Vacations sure, but otherwise haven't really crossed in a while. Even camping trips we're looking to Canadian campgrounds, despite the on average higher costs, just because it's easier than crossing.

If we did cross we would definitely be made to quarantine for 14 days at this point

 

[mshanson3121]

Is the government monitoring province to province travel? Can you be turned away at a provincial border?

This may have already been answered. I don't know if the federal government is monitoring travel, but yes, you can be turned away. In New Brunswick, all non-essential travel is being turned away at the border (including, Quebec, PEI, Nova Scotia and Maine)

 

[mshanson3121]

Haven't seen this thought mentioned yet, but what about the possibility of a one-way border opening? Like the US opening to allow Canadians in, but Canada not opening to allow Americans in until a much later date? I could see the US deciding to stop waiting on Canada and just opening. Or conversely, I could also see them opening for other foreign internationals but not Canadians until Canada reciprocates...

This is what I see happening. I see the US opening the border, allowing us to travel there - before we allow them to travel here. On the flip side of that, if that happens, I guarentee any Canadian that travels across will have a mandatory 14 day quarantine when they return, which is basically going to ensure no one travels over there anyways. Not many employers are going to give you 14 days off for quarantine, and not many people can afford to take 14 days off work, unpaid.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

And, now that we know this will be required, many employers may not let you even work from home. It was different during March break when everyone left not knowing this was going to be required.

Suddenly our 1 week vacations become 3 weeks.

Edit to add: Once the border does open, I guess I better have this conversation with my bosses since I had two big trips already planned and paid for before this all went down!

 

[Kaadk]

This is what I see happening. I see the US opening the border, allowing us to travel there - before we allow them to travel here. On the flip side of that, if that happens, I guarentee any Canadian that travels across will have a mandatory 14 day quarantine when they return, which is basically going to ensure no one travels over there anyways. Not many employers are going to give you 14 days off for quarantine, and not many people can afford to take 14 days off work, unpaid.

Yes, I would expect the mandatory 14 day quarantine to remain as well. But I don't know if it's going to be as big of an impact as it was at the beginning of all of this. First off, that would mean retirees would be able to cross (though, those with an pre-existing conditions shouldn't be crossing) without much impact. They're not affected with needing to miss work, as they don't rely on work for their income. Secondly, anybody who can work from home, also wouldn't be affected much. There are those of us, like myself, who had this freedom even before the stay at home orders came in, and there are also those who've had that ability opened up to them. For instance, my Sis-in-law works in school administration. Before this all, her working from home would have been unheard of, but now, she's doing the majority of her job from her house. The infrastructure's been put in place, the working arrangements have been put in place, and the means to continue working from quarantine have increased for many people.

It's only those who don't have the options to work from home, like some of my family that works in various automotive factories/supplier factories, who would have to take the 14 days off work, but that number of people isn't as large as it was at the start of all this. Still pretty significant, but still, not as large.

 

[Frozen2014]

Yes, I would expect the mandatory 14 day quarantine to remain as well. But I don't know if it's going to be as big of an impact as it was at the beginning of all of this. First off, that would mean retirees would be able to cross (though, those with an pre-existing conditions shouldn't be crossing) without much impact. They're not affected with needing to miss work, as they don't rely on work for their income. Secondly, anybody who can work from home, also wouldn't be affected much. There are those of us, like myself, who had this freedom even before the stay at home orders came in, and there are also those who've had that ability opened up to them. For instance, my Sis-in-law works in school administration. Before this all, her working from home would have been unheard of, but now, she's doing the majority of her job from her house. The infrastructure's been put in place, the working arrangements have been put in place, and the means to continue working from quarantine have increased for many people.

It's only those who don't have the options to work from home, like some of my family that works in various automotive factories/supplier factories, who would have to take the 14 days off work, but that number of people isn't as large as it was at the start of all this. Still pretty significant, but still, not as large.

Or any families travelling for vacation. DH and I can work from home, but kids can't miss the extra weeks from school. We have first week of Christmas booked (....if borders open up, etc). That means second week they are still out, but then they would have to miss 1 week upon return in January. Then March break means 2 weeks off after March break. Not realistic.

 

[Kaadk]

Or any families travelling for vacation. DH and I can work from home, but kids can't miss the extra weeks from school. We have first week of Christmas booked (....if borders open up, etc). That means second week they are still out, but then they would have to miss 1 week upon return in January. Then March break means 2 weeks off after March break. Not realistic.

All depends on what the schools do. I could see this home-schooling approach become part of the new normal, where the kids will be able to quarantine, but still provide their work via their assignments. Our board here uses Edsby, and it seems to be working well for that. They can see assignments per class, upload their work per class, get feedback on marks per class, they have open communication through the messaging system with their teachers for any questions, clarifications, etc... The only thing they'd be missing is school interactions, and any of the lectures.

And those with tech restrictions, like lack of access to the internet, probably wouldn't have the subsided help they're getting now, so yes, those parents probably wouldn't want to travel and then have their kids out of school, but I believe some might. I'll admit it's not ideal, but it's a possibility I can see coming. We'll have to wait for the schools to re-open to know how they're planning on dealing with it though.

 

[Frozen2014]

All depends on what the schools do. I could see this home-schooling approach become part of the new normal, where the kids will be able to quarantine, but still provide their work via their assignments. Our board here uses Edsby, and it seems to be working well for that. They can see assignments per class, upload their work per class, get feedback on marks per class, they have open communication through the messaging system with their teachers for any questions, clarifications, etc... The only thing they'd be missing is school interactions, and any of the lectures.

And those with tech restrictions, like lack of access to the internet, probably wouldn't have the subsided help they're getting now, so yes, those parents probably wouldn't want to travel and then have their kids out of school, but I believe some might. I'll admit it's not ideal, but it's a possibility I can see coming. We'll have to wait for the schools to re-open to know how they're planning on dealing with it though.

Yeah, good point. It's all up in the air of what changes school make going forward. And as you say, working online may be more of the norm.