Beginning Monday, August 9, Canada will lift its 14-day quarantine rule for fully vaccinated US citizens. The COVID-19 relaxation of entry restrictions comes less than three weeks after the reopening of Ontario casinos in Niagara Falls.
On August 9, fully vaccinated US citizens will be able to enter Canada without the need for medical supervision. Children who have not been vaccinated but are traveling with vaccinated parents are also allowed to enter without quarantine.
On Sept. 7, the rule will be extended to fully vaccinated travelers arriving from the rest of the world, assuming no setbacks in combating the newest COVID-19 pandemic in the Great White North.
Around 80% of eligible Canadians have been partially vaccinated, and more than half have been fully inoculated.
Tourism Rebound
The US is experiencing robust leisure travel in the nation’s early emergence from the darkest periods of the pandemic. And casinos are benefiting.
Many Americans are believed to be seeking entertainment as a result of pent-up demand. Many states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, are experiencing record gaming. Las Vegas is reporting a strong return of visitors.
The four resort-style commercial casinos in Canada are all located in Ontario. On Friday, July 16, casinos were allowed to reopen after being closed for over 16 months due to government orders.
Caesars Windsor, Canada’s largest casino resort, is set to reopen on Friday, July 23. Both Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara in Niagara Falls will reopen on Friday. On July 29, Casino Rama will reopen.
The three casinos on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls rely heavily on tourism to the waterfall attraction. While the Seneca Nation’s Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino keeps many Americans on the US side of the falls, some visitors venture into Canada for a variety of reasons.
One of the most popular reasons for visiting Canada is to see Horseshoe Falls from the north side, as well as the fact that the minimum drinking and gambling age in Ontario is 19 years old, compared to 21 in the United States.
Before the pandemic, Canada had 22 million international tourists.The vast majority — 15 million — came from the United States.
US Retains Quarantine
Though Canada intends to end the need for fully vaccinated US citizens to be quarantined, the condition is not being reciprocated. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said no decision has been made on whether or not the current quarantine requirement for travelers entering the country from Canada will be lifted.
Psaki explained that “We are continuing to review our travel restrictions. Any decisions about resuming travel will be guided by our public health and medical experts. I wouldn’t look at it through a reciprocal intention.”
