Long Lines Return as Canada Opens Borders to U.S.
Lisa Steuer McArdle
Oct 14, 2021 · 3 min read
The coronoavirus pandemic has upended virtually all parts of the world for an extended period. It has especially affected travel, as countries have tried to limit visitors entering their locations to prevent the virus from spreading.
Even before the pandemic, there were sometimes long lines of people trying to cross the U.S.-Canada border. The security checkpoints can take some time, causing traffic backups. When Canada reopened its border recently, it allowed Americans to enter the country for nonessential travel for the first time since March 2020.
Now that Canada has reopened its border to U.S. residents, drivers aren't wasting time to cross it.
Now that Canada has reopened its border to U.S. residents after shutting down due to the coronavirus, drivers aren't wasting time to travel there.
Traveling across the border isn't as easy as it used to be
Even though Canada has reopened its border to Americans, entering the country won't be as easy as it was prior to the pandemic. Before the pandemic, you just needed the proper documentation and to answer some questions for the border patrol.
Now, there are more stringent requirements as Canada tries to prevent COVID from crossing the border.
As Car and Driver reports, before you can cross the border into Canada you need to be fully vaccinated and have a negative COVID test result from the past 72 hours. The relevant documents need to be uploaded, along with your visitor application, in the ArriveCAN app or website.
Submitting false information can land you a hefty fine of up to $600,000 or jail time. The vaccination requirement is waived for children under 12 who are traveling with a fully vaccinated guardian.
Overall traffic numbers are climbing
People aren't just anxious to go to Canada, but also to travel in general. Overall traffic numbers in the U.S. are trending upward as people begin to feel safer to travel again as vaccinations rise throughout the country.
In fact, miles traveled are reportedly almost at the same point they were in 2019, before the pandemic began in the country.
According to statistics released by the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. motorists drove 282.5 billion miles in June 2021. That is 35.7 billion miles more than in June 2020, when people weren't doing as much travel for personal or business reasons.
And the 2021 number is almost at the level of the 284.5 billion miles that were driven in June 2019, when travel restrictions weren't any consideration at all.
Car insurance and travel
Your car insurance will cover you for out-of state travel, as long as you're staying in the country and will only be out of state temporarily.
If you're moving to another state or visiting another country, you may need to either modify your insurance policy or buy a new policy.
Understanding all of the nuances in the world of car insurance isn't easy, but Jerry is here to help you navigate your way through it. The app compares quotes from up to 45 different insurance companies for you in under a minute, without any long forms to fill out.
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