U.S. lifting COVID-19 vaccine mandate at Canadian border

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The U.S. will lift the COVID-19 vaccine mandate at the Canadian border next week, Rep. Brian Higgins (NY-26) confirmed on Monday.

Now, Canadians entering the United States at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls and Queenston-Lewiston Bridge in Lewiston as well as across the country will no longer have to show proof of a COVID vaccination. The new policy will go into effect starting on May 11.

This will end over three years of some sort of vaccine restrictions at the borders between the two countries. On October 1, 2022, Canada lifted its requirements to show proof of vaccination when entering the country.

Before that, policies changed several times from the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, from the border being closed to testing requirements.

With this change, there are no longer any sort of requirements.

“After 3 years of restrictions, we can finally reunite families, return to pre-pandemic cross-border travel and continue rebuilding our deeply connected economies,” Rep. Higgins said in a tweet on Monday.