The White House announced Monday most fully vaccinated adult foreign nationals will be granted entrance into the US by early November. However, details of relaxing border restrictions remain unknown.
How the policy will impact travel at the Canada-US border also remains unknown, reported CTV News.
New York Congressman Brian Higgins said permitting recreational visits from Canada is long overdue.
"It is welcome news that the White House is making progress on reciprocating international public health measures to protect air travellers," writes Higgins in a release.
"Yet it is inexplicable that no announcement on easing travel restrictions at land ports of entry is being made today since the livelihoods of communities across the northern border depend on cross-border commerce."
Higgins previously slammed the Biden administration’s "lack of urgency" to make progress on lifting restrictions at the Canadian border.
The Biden administration first imposed travel restrictions at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
The Canadian border opened travel to fully vaccinated US travelers on August 9, with the rest of the world gaining access on September 7.
"It is extremely frustrating that the US government failed to reciprocate current family exemptions already allowed by the Canadian government and failed to show a lack of urgency to make any progress on this side of the border toward lifting restrictions," he said.
The White House said the upcoming amendments to the travel restrictions would apply to air travel and mandate proof of vaccination before boarding, including a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before the flight.
These are similar to Canada's rules over the summer, starting with Canadians travelling abroad, US citizens and permanent residents, and finally on all foreign nationals.
More stringent testing and quarantine requirements are expected for unvaccinated travelers when the new rules take effect in November.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a July press briefing after Canada's announcement that US action would not be a reciprocal act, rather one based on their own medical guidance.
US reluctance to open its northern border owed to climbing Delta variant cases in the US, lower than expected vaccination rates, and the ongoing crisis at the southern borders.
It remains unknown whether Canadians with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be allowed entry as the US has yet to approve it.
Non-essential visitors remain prohibited from crossing until October 21.
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