Canadian Premiers & American Governors Want Trudeau To End Travel Restrictions For Truckers
They said the timing of vaccine exemptions being removed "could not have been worse."
With travel restrictions still in place for people who cross the Canada-U.S. border, Canadian and American politicians are calling for vaccine mandates for truckers to be removed.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe co-signed a letter with Montana Governor Greg Gianforte along with 16 other U.S. governors to ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Joe Biden to reinstate vaccination exemptions for truck drivers.
"It's bad public health theatre and it needs to go," Kenney said on Twitter.
Moe tweeted that the measures "will place significant pressure on Canadian and American families," while Gianforte tweeted that the two countries "depend on keeping truckers on the road."
Governors of Alaska, Idaho and North Dakota which are states on the Canada-U.S. border also signed the letter along with the leaders of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming.
In the letter dated February 16, the politicians called for Trudeau and Biden to bring back the vaccine and quarantine exemptions that cross-border truck drivers used to have.
"We understand the vital importance of vaccines in the fight against COVID-19 and continue to encourage eligible individuals to get vaccinated. However, we are deeply concerned that terminating these exemptions has had demonstrably negative impacts," they said.
The officials also said that the timing of the removal of the exemptions "could not have been worse" because both countries were dealing with supply chain issues.
They claimed that the lack of exemptions will lead to thousands of truckers leaving the industry.
"The removal of these exemptions is ultimately unnecessary, and we cannot afford to lose any more truck drivers who transport food and other vital supplies across the border," the politicians said.
On January 15, 2022, Canada removed entry exemptions for travellers who aren't fully vaccinated against COVID-19 including truck drivers, professional athletes, international students, temporary foreign workers and others.
Then on January 22, 2022, the U.S. implemented a similar policy that required foreign nationals to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with limited exceptions.
Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.