Long delays as Canada opens border to fully vaccinated American tourists after 16 months

Long delays were reported at the border on Monday as Canada finally opened to fully vaccinated American tourists for the first time in 16 months, causing a rush of travelers during the busy summer season - and bottlenecks for a desperate tourism industry. Government data showed a seven-hour wait for the Fort Frances, Ontario, and International Falls, Minnesota, crossing. Fort Frances advertises itself online as "rarely experiencing delays." Several crossings in Ontario and New Brunswick - between the states of New York and Maine - had waits of three hours. Canada barred all leisure travel from the United States in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as of Aug. 9 fully vaccinated Americans are able to enter the country. International travelers who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to enter in early September. Late on Friday, the Canadian government and border staff reached a tentative deal to end a strike that began earlier in the day and caused delays even before Americans began arriving. Toronto's Pearson International Airport, Canada's biggest, has also asked travelers to brace for delays as American leisure travelers return. <br/>