Americans are vacationing in Canada despite coronavirus border closure

Pat Chen, a Facebook use said she saw a family from Texas eating at a diner in Banff, Alberta in a post to Facebook.

"Today I heard from a friend who posted on her timeline a very disturbing situation happening in Banff and potentially across Canada," wrote Chen. "A server in a newly opened restaurant in Banff went to serve a table of four. She asked them where they came from and was stunned to hear that they were from TEXAS! Up for a vacation."

"She questioned them on how they got into Canada when the boarders are closed to visitors. They replied that they used a loophole. They told boarder patrol that they were driving to Alaska. They were let in."

"They are now wandering around Banff, no masks, no distancing, no 14 day quarantine. There was also another similar incident same loophole used for another group of visitors from Seattle. Texas has escalating COVID-19 numbers. This is more than alarming!"

In response to the concerning post, Canada Border Service Agency said that "healthy, non-symptomatic foreign nationals" are allowed to drive through Canada for "non-discretionary purposes," such as driving to Alaska, as an example.

The Agency said that the US travellers are asked to limit their stops while in Canada and to only eat using a drive-thru. When filling up on gas they are asked to use pay-at-the-pump services only. If a traveller does require spending a night at a hotel, they must then quarantine for two weeks.

The US-Canada border closure was just extended by Prime Minister Trudeau earlier this week, until at least late July, in terms of non-essential travel. Some restriction however have been lifted, such as allowing travel for family reunions.