US Citizens Found To Violate Canadian Border Closure

Some Americans have found a way to stay in Canada despite the country’s COVID-19 border closure.

There have been reports of U.S. citizens crossing the border on pretext of visiting Alaska, only to stay in Canada. According to Canadian officials, American tourists cross the border to visit the Rocky Mountains despite the risk of arrest.

The Canadian government ordered a border closure in March to curb the spread of coronavirus. While the frontier has been closed since March 21, U.S. citizens without coronavirus symptoms are still allowed to make forays into Canada to reach the U.S. state of Alaska. To ensure that they do not contribute to the spread of coronavirus, such tourists are required to use drive-thru windows to buy food and gas and undergo quarantine if they are to stay in a hotel.

Despite such measures, recent reports suggest that some U.S. citizens have found a loophole in travel restrictions, allowing them to cross the Canadian border for secret vacations despite the lockdown. On Facebook, a resident of Banff, Alberta revealed that a family from Texas had been able to stay in Canada by violating the border closure.

“The family is now wandering around Banff, no masks, no distancing, no 14-day quarantine,” the Facebook user wrote. “There was also another similar incident same loophole used for another group of visitors from Seattle. This is more than alarming!” the user added.

Earlier this week, deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland urged Americans to avoid entering the country. “I would say to our American friends and neighbors: I love the Rockies, too. I grew up in Alberta. Personally, I can think of no better place to spend time. But now is not the time to visit. Hopefully, we will be back to normal at some point soon,” she said, adding that the measures are in place to protect the citizens and their neighbors.

As of Wednesday, the U.S. has recorded more than two million cases of the coronavirus. Earlier this week, the U.S. and Canada agreed to re-open the border on July 21.