The United States and Canada have agreed to temporarily close the border to all nonessential traffic, according to President Donald Trump, a move that will have a profound impact on New York and Vermont.
Trump announced the change in a tweet on Wednesday morning, adding that trade would not be affected. More details will follow. He told reporters later in the day that the limited travel could last 30 days or more.
The announcement comes after a flurry of travel restrictions issued by both countries in recent days.
On March 11, President Trump announced restrictions on travel from most European nations. On March 16, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the Canadian border would be closed to non-citizens, with the exception of those from the United States.
Hospital and health care workers on NAFTA visas will be exempt from the closure in order to continue serving hospitals and communities, according to Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. Stefanik said acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf assured her of their exemption during a telephone call on Wednesday.
Reaction on decision in Western New York
Canadian tourism in Western New York has already been effectively shutdown due to a series of regulations New York has in place to slow the virus' spread, said Dottie Gallagher, the president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the region's chamber of commerce.
New York in recent days prohibited gathers of 50 or more people and ordered all bars and restaurants in the state to close, with the exception for takeout and delivery orders.
"This closing at the border isn't going to do anymore to shutdown tourism. Effectively, tourism is just shutdown right now," Gallagher said.
Canadian tourism accounts for $1 billion annually in the Buffalo economy, Gallagher said.
But she agreed with the need to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
"We are going through incredible times and there's nothing more important than to flatten the curve," Gallagher said.
She is, however, worried about the flow of goods between New York and Canada.
Around 65% of the chamber's members have customers in Canada or receive supplies from the region.
"We have a very integrated economy. As long as the closure doesn't impact the flow or impede the structural condition for people to do business, we agree and support the notion of shutting down nonessential travel," Gallagher said.
Details on the proposal have yet to be released but are expected in the coming days.
Robert Duffy, president of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, said the fact that trade would continue was “great news” for businesses upstate in desperate need of some continuity at this time of rapidly evolving and, in some cases, dire economic impacts.
“Canada is our number one trading partner,” Duffy said. “The economic pipeline between our country and theirs, and specifically upstate New York and the Province of Ontario is an essential one.”
Reaction to decision in New York's North Country
Tourism in the North County ground to a halt this past weekend as fears of the coronavirus began to spread, said Garry Douglas, president of the North Country Chamber of Commerce in Plattsburgh, New York.
"The real impact began last weekend. Largely up until that point, I know in our area, our Quebec friends were still very much down here," he said.
New York has since ordered all bars and restaurants in the state closed until further notice, and has barred any large gatherings of 50 or more people, effectively shuttering the tourism industry.
Additional guidance on the travel ban is expected to be handed down within the next 48 hours, but Douglas said he was relieved to learn commerce and other essential travel would not be impacted.
There are more than 180 Canadian based businesses in the Plattsburgh area, which accounts for about 15% of the area's workforce, Douglas said.
And 50 transportation manufacturers in the region rely on the cross-border supply chain to do business.
"Cross border commerce and investment is the single greatest driving force in the economy of this region," Douglas said.
Douglas said the chamber has been in contact with government officials to ensure the proper exemptions for businesses are being taken and is encouraging residents in the area to order takeout and donate any ticket costs to theaters in the area should a concert or other event be canceled.
"What we need to do is to get to a point where these various measures that are being taken by our federal government and by the states can start to be rolled back sooner rather than later. "
Impact on U.S.-Canada trade
The latest smuggling threat border agents are contending with is microscopic.
As the new coronavirus makes its way across the globe, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is charged with identifying carriers who may not realize they're running germs.
CBP processes more than 1 million people through U.S. borders each day through air, land and sea ports.
And while disease is something agents commonly look for, the recent global pandemic has necessitated augmenting safety and security procedures.
The additional travel restrictions are impacting tourism in Vermont and New York, both of which rely on a steady influx of Canadian visitors.
Vermont tourism carries on, positioned as drivable destination
As the snow melts, the maple runs and vegetation blooms, Vermont gears up for spring tourism, but worries about the blooming pandemic and increasingly complex travel guidelines have many staying home.
For Vermont tourism, growth is stunted.
“What they’re seeing is a pretty heavy drop in booking as well as cancellations of events,” Jeff Lawson, director of the destination marketing organization Hello Burlington, said. Hello Burlington aims to "promote the area as a great destination for travel, meetings, and events," according to its website.
He had heard of one instance where Canadian travelers had canceled their visit to the area. A person just across the border whom Lawson talked to said people in Canada are feeling less inclined to travel to the U.S. because of higher rates of infection.
Now that the U.S.-Canada border will be shut down, Lawson says Hello Burlington could have reason for concern. Lodging and restaurant industries are already struggling, he said, and the closure could increase further impact on businesses from a tourism perspective.
More: Coronavirus in Vermont: News and impact on your community
Canadian Parliament and House of Commons decided to shut down for at least a month in the wake of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's quarantine after his wife tested positive for COVID-19.
"Isolation and distancing is the scourge of travel," Lawson said of 'social distancing' recommendations.
It "cuts right to the heart of what travel means for us. We travel to explore and share experiences. Right now those are not things anybody really wants to do." he said.
Travel trade information has indicated people are wary of air travel, and Lawson hopes that once the dust settles, the Burlington area will be uniquely positioned as a drivable destination.
He said that the fact "we’re tucked in between Montreal, New York and Boston may well play to our benefit."
Health screenings at the border
Border travelers identified as posing a possible health risk are being referred for an enhanced health screening, as guided by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.
In some cases a medical professional is available to make an assessment at the point of entry, but smaller crossings may need to send travelers elsewhere for evaluation or wait for a medical professional to come to them.
Those automatically sent for CDC enhanced health screening include:
- Travelers who have been anywhere in mainland China or Iran within 14 days of crossing a U.S. border
- Individuals with observable symptoms of COVID-19
About 64,000 travelers were referred to CDC for enhanced health screenings from February 2 to March 4, of which, 113 crossed at sea ports, 766 were at land borders, and 62,864 were air passengers.
Agents minimize personal exposure
Processing thousands of people per day puts border agents at increased risk for contracting COVID-19 and passing it along to others.
CBP employees have been permitted to use personal protective equipment such as masks in appropriate circumstances.
"As the COVID-19 outbreak progresses, we are reminding all CBP employees to use proper procedures to prevent the spread of communicable disease," a CBP official said.
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s highest priority is to ensure the health, safety and security of our workforce and the American people."
All online coverage of the coronavirus is being provided for free to our readers. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Free Press. Email Isaac Fornarola at ifornarola@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @isaacforn
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