Canada Reopens Border to American Travelers

Michigander reunites with significant other as Canada reopens border to fully vaccinated Americans

NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL BUT THATALL CHANGED EARLY THIS MORNINGWHEN IT REOPENED TOFULLY VACCINATED AMERICANS.FOX 17'S LAUREN KUMMER TELLS USTHE STORY OF ONE MAN WHO SAYSTHIS DAY COULDN'T COME SOONENOUGH.Lauren StandUp: MANY FAMILIESAND FRIENDS WHO LIVE ON EITHERSIDE OFTHE AMERICAN AND CANADIAN BORDERHAVE BEEN SEPARATED FOROVER 16 MONTHS.

THAT INCLUDESONE MICHIGA NMANWHO MADE PLANS TO BE ONE OF HTEFIRST TO CROSS AS RESTRICTIONSLIFTED.

Nathan Keeler U.S.CitizenIt has been a real anxiouslike, last, like,72 hours.

I'm just feel like,I'm gonna jumpout of my skin, and I waswaiting to comeover so bad.7s NATHAN KEELER LIVES ANDWORKS IN THE DETROIT AREA ANDHASBEEN SEPARATED FROM HISGIRLFRIEND OF 11 YEARS FOR MOSTOF THE PANDEMIC.

AS THECANADIAN BORDER REOPEDNETO FULLY VACCINATED AMERICANSMONDAY MORNINGAT 12:01 HE WAS THERE TO CROSSOVE R.Keeler -I thought, 'oh, sure, I'm gonnabe first.

This i sgreat', andthen I went down through thetunnel went around the corner.When I got tothe Canadian side, traffic wasbacked up all the way to themouth of the tunnel.11s KEELER SAYS HE WAITEDAROUND 45 MINUTES AT THEDETROIT-WINDSORTUNNEL TO GET THROUGH FINALLYCROSSING AROUND 12:50 A-M.SOMETHING HE HAS ANTICIPATEDDOINGFOR A LONG TIME.It has been tough I.t is notfun.

My heart goesout to evebryody who's goingthrough thesame thing and, you know, peoplethat haven't been able to getover.It's hard.

There's a lot of alot of FaceTime, a lot ofwatching Netflix together andthat kind of stuff .15s IN ORDER TO VISIT CANADA,AMERICAN TOURISTS MUST FOLLOWTHECANADIAN GUIDELINES.

TRAVELERSARE REQUIRETD OSUBMIT PROOF OF COVID-19VACCINATION AND PROVIDE OTHERTRAVEL INFORMATION OT THECANADIAN GOVERNMENT'SARRIVE-CAN APP OR WEBSITE ATLEAST 72O HURS BEFORE ARRIVINGTO THE COUNTRY.

AND DESPITEVACCINATIONSTATUS, ALL VISITORS MUSTPROVIDE A NEGATIVE, LMOECULARP-C-R TEST THAT IS TAKENNO MORE THAN 72 HOURS BEFORE.Dr. Robert Bensley Professor ofPublic Health, Western MichiganUniversityIt becomes a really niceopportunity forthem to be able to travel toCanada,number of people have familythere, theyhave friends there, and I thinkit's a greatopportunity for us to just keepmovingforward in the midst of COVID.14s AS KEELER SPENDS HIS NEXTTWO WEEKS MAKING UP HIS ANDJANE'S TMEI APART HE HAS AMESSAGE TOTHOSE THINKING OF CROSSING.Keeler -They've been a lot sitrcterover here in Canada than we havein the US, and youknow, they're just trying tokeepeverybody safe.

Even if thingsaren't open, orit seems just, you know, thye'rejust trying to keep people safe.So trust them,tht'as all.12s Lauren Tag: THE AMERICANBORDERIS STILL CLOSED TO CANADIANTOURISTS UNTIL AT LEAST AUGUST21ST DUE TO GROWING COVID CASESAND THE DELTA VARIANT HERE INTHE U.S.IT IS STILL UNCLEAR WHE INT WILLOPEN.

REPORTING IN KALAMAZOO,LK,FOX 17 NEWS.