Safe travels? Restrictions eased at Canada-U.S. borders

The Canada Border Services Agency reported no wait times at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Monday as border restrictions were eased.

Previously, all travellers required a negative PCR COVID-19 test result, taken within 72 hours of their return to Canada.

Now, a cheaper rapid antigen is also being accepted, which also has a quicker turnaround time.

“My girlfriend stays here, so I’ll be coming more,” says one traveller, who was making his way to Detroit on Monday.

But will the easing of restrictions entice more people to travel?

“Is it a negative antigen test? Is it within 72 hours, 24 hours? Is it one day? There just seems to be continual confusion,” says Martin Firestone of Travel Secure Inc.

He believes people should be able to go over for the day and return with no testing requirement.

“If you are fully vaccinated, the need now to keep someone out of the country while the variant is already in the country, makes no sense whatsoever,” Firestone says.

Also going into effect Monday, international flights returning to YQG Airport.

“They’re flying every Thursday to Varadero, Cuba which is a little warmer than it is here today,” says CEO Mark Galvin.

Only 18 airports were permitted to receive flights from international destinations before Monday.

“So you’re flying direct one way, and then you’re going through Ottawa on the way back,” says Galvin, who expects those flights to continue to arrive in Ottawa for now since they’ve already been booked.

However, the airport is once again allowed to accept international travel, and there is some more good news for those looking to travel to sunny destinations.

Sunwing has extended its seasonal Flights at YQG.

“We’re seeing a lot of demand, we’re seeing a lot of pent-up Travel demand. So it was going to end in March but now it’s going into April,” Galvin tells CTV News Windsor.

Prior to the pandemic, YQG processed over 380,000 travellers in 2019 making it a banner year for the airports.