Border closure extended until at least July 21

[emers382]

Lots of stories about difficulties experienced with the border. A neighbour of ours is married to a US citizen only 55 miles south of us. He was allowed into Canada after their baby was born, they self isolated for the two weeks required. For her to get to visit and stay with him in the US they met at the US border office just south of us, handed him the baby, drove to Winnipeg to fly via Minneapolis to Grand Forks where he picked her up.

 

[MyronL]

Yesterday the governor here announced she is imposing a 2-week statewide shutdown in response to a sharp increase in new COVID-19 infections and deaths. Residents are asked to stay home except for essential activities.

Non-essential businesses must shut down. It's the highest level of lockdown here since the spring. The numbers are much worse and rising. Nearly 1 in 5 people hospitalized have died and hospitalizations have risen 214 per cent the last 4 weeks. Medical facilities also are seeing widespread outbreaks among their employees.

 

[escape artist]

I’m looking for a higher power to take Radicalized Politics out of a Global Pandemic that has killed a Quarter of a Million Americans, not counting many of our good friends to the North and around the world.

** Where a Darn Mask!
** Wash Your Darn Hands!
** Treat Everyone Like You Would If They Have The Darn Flu!

Seems like a such small thing to ask.

Be Safe!

Hi: WillyB... "Darn it all"!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[blue_bullet]

I just don’t see why Canadians and US citizens can’t cross the border with a coved negative test? Why are our governments prohibiting crossing if we test negative. I can’t drive my truck from Alaska to the rest of the states to get to my trailer. If it is this way next spring I am going to have to barge my truck south.

Do that and keep it there and get another vehicle for AK or buy another in the contiguous US. Barging a vehicle has got to be costly.

This advice is free so consider what you paid for it. ;D

 

[Bobbie54]

I just don’t see why Canadians and US citizens can’t cross the border with a coved negative test? Why are our governments prohibiting crossing if we test negative. I can’t drive my truck from Alaska to the rest of the states to get to my trailer. If it is this way next spring I am going to have to barge my truck south.

Because if you enter Canada or the US after a negative test you can still develop symptoms or test positive later- then you are in Canada and positive. And you likely wouldn't even get a test until you had symptoms and by then you've been contagious for a couple of days. In fact, you could turn positive during the two days while you wait for the test result.

I am hopeful that eventually they'll open to things like picking up a trailer (a specific, appointed time, and they know when you should be back) but the way people are disregarding precautions down here I don't blame Canada one bit.

 

[Ron in BC]

What's really driving me nuts is the gutless response of our health officials. It's like they live on another planet. They plead with us to do the right thing. Well I've got a news flash for them. There's a sizable number of folks that don't care diddly squat about doing the right thing.

Maintain social distance they say. Have they ever been in a store like Home Depot where you're in crowded aisles a few feet wide and have a moron with no mask squeeze by you? Another tool store with about 30 employees on the floor, not wearing masks. They come right up to you without a mask. Or they try to until I make a comment that sort of stops them.

They couldn't make masks mandatory fast enough for me. In the meantime we'll gently plead with folks to do the right thing.

End of rant.

Ron

 

[Bobbie54]

What's really driving me nuts is the gutless response of our health officials. It's like they live on another planet. They plead with us to do the right thing. Well I've got a news flash for them. There's a sizable number of folks that don't care diddly squat about doing the right thing.

Maintain social distance they say. Have they ever been in a store like Home Depot where you're in crowded aisles a few feet wide and have a moron with no mask squeeze by you? Another tool store with about 30 employees on the floor, not wearing masks. They come right up to you without a mask. Or they try to until I make a comment that sort of stops them.

They couldn't make masks mandatory fast enough for me. In the meantime we'll gently plead with folks to do the right thing.

End of rant.

Ron

Totally get you. They are mandatory here but it still takes the store enforcing it- luckily down on South Whidbey they are pretty good about it although I've taken to avoiding the hardware store again as one clueless guy pulls it down off his nose and the clerks often wear just shields (useless unless someone sneezes on you,)

But they say what's driving it here is home visiting, parties, social events, where even large groups of people feel safe without masks. We saw a lot of that outside in the summer but now it appears to have gone inside. But the person who brings it to the family must get it somewhere- like the hardware store or a restaurant or bar or who knows what,

 

[AKCamper]

I don't believe that is true, since several Americans have been caught and fined for sight-seeing in Banff when they were supposed to be driving directly to Alaska. I'm sure you can transit Canada.

Suggest you look up Canada Border Agency.

There are two was I can travel through Canada from Alaska. (1) Get a doctors letter saying I need to see a doctor in the lower 48 states or (2) Be traveling through Canada to a place I am moving to in the lower 48. Or returning to Alaska from the lower 48. I hav heard of people getting a letter from their doctor just so they can drive through. Either way I have heard that you have to maintain extreme social distancing and be on an extreme tight schedule

 

[Iowa Dave]

I have always been a booster of the many facets of my home state of Iowa. Parks, architecture, wildlife, friendly helpful people, all those things that make for pleasant living. It took this Pandemic for me to realize we have a terrible Governor without any leadership qualities at all and a large population of totally inconsiderate citizens. I am so disgusted that businesses, school districts with no mask policy, price gouging grocery stores, which all should be positioned to close up or modify their behavior for the public good are in bed with the Governor to stay open, and to pursue the holy dollar at the expense of us all. I’m to the point where I do not care if old line businesses fail for lack of patronage because of the way they have failed to consider the gravity of the situation. I think every day about my ability to isolate for a very long time if I have to. But I worry about my kids and grandkids and will never forget or forgive the behaviors I’ve seen in the last few months. My heritage is from subsistence agriculture and I can go back, I know I can. I’m ordering garden seeds from Johnny in Maine soon. 500 sweetcorn are looking pretty good.
Iowa Dave

 

[Donna D.]

They couldn't make masks mandatory fast enough for me. In the meantime we'll gently plead with folks to do the right thing.

We've been wearing seat belts in motor vehicles for 52 years in the USA. I bet there are members here on the forum, that have never driven a vehicle without seat belts. I can wear a mask for however long it takes to get this virus controlled. I wear it for me and for you, and You and YOU. Please wear a mask for me.

 

[Bobbie54]

We've been wearing seat belts in motor vehicles for 52 years in the USA. I bet there are members here on the forum, that have never driven a vehicle without seat belts. I can wear a mask for however long it takes to get this virus controlled. I wear it for me and for you, and You and YOU. Please wear a mask for me.

Before cars had seatbelts, we were on our way somewhere and went around a curve in our microbus, and the front door swung open and my little sister, about 1 1/2, fell out. Luckily by the time my dad stopped the car she was already standing up screaming bloody murder, scraped and bruised but not seriously injured. So the moment he could, Dad found aftermarket seatbelts for our car (by then a station wagon so I don't think the bus ever had them) and we wore them rigorously. As a navy pilot he was a seatbelt guy from way back.

We're all still around except Dad, but even my baby sister is over 60 now, and Mom is 91, and we want to have everyone still around a year from now.

 

[Iowa Dave]

I remember when my daughter was born in 1976 I installed a center seat belt in our 1970 Ford pickup. Standard oil had aftermarket belts they sold in gas stations. We installed a few in about 1965-1967. They cost about $8 if I remember correctly and had a buckle that was all steel and weighed about a pound and a half.
Iowa Dave

 

[gbaglo]

I took all the rear seat belts out of my VW van with the plan to convert to a camper. Never did complete the project, but I did have eight seat belts in the side shed for many years.
Finally disposed of them.

Of course then our daughter came along and I had to buy a seat belt to secure her car seat in the middle position in the "back seat" of a Nissan King Cab.
Never throw anything out.

 

[Iowa Dave]

I am not a hoarder, I just have an inventory control problem.
That’s how I feel better about not knowing exactly what I own or where it is.
But I’m getting there.
Iowa Dave

 

[UncleTim]

We've been wearing seat belts in motor vehicles for 52 years in the USA. I bet there are members here on the forum, that have never driven a vehicle without seat belts. I can wear a mask for however long it takes to get this virus controlled. I wear it for me and for you, and You and YOU. Please wear a mask for me.

And do you remember when legislation was passed enforcing seat belts? The car makers did not initially want to put them in and said no one would ever want to pay for them.

How far we have come, haw far we have yet to go!

 

[oldwave]

I have always been a booster of the many facets of my home state of Iowa. Parks, architecture, wildlife, friendly helpful people, all those things that make for pleasant living. It took this Pandemic for me to realize we have a terrible Governor without any leadership qualities at all and a large population of totally inconsiderate citizens. I am so disgusted that businesses, school districts with no mask policy, price gouging grocery stores, which all should be positioned to close up or modify their behavior for the public good are in bed with the Governor to stay open, and to pursue the holy dollar at the expense of us all. I’m to the point where I do not care if old line businesses fail for lack of patronage because of the way they have failed to consider the gravity of the situation. I think every day about my ability to isolate for a very long time if I have to. But I worry about my kids and grandkids and will never forget or forgive the behaviors I’ve seen in the last few months. My heritage is from subsistence agriculture and I can go back, I know I can. I’m ordering garden seeds from Johnny in Maine soon. 500 sweetcorn are looking pretty good.
Iowa Dave

I have one of my best friends who lives in Solon tell me the same thing. I’m mystified how this basic concept of taking care of each other and the philosophy of the common good has been destroyed. It’ll be a while until I get back there to visit.

 

[TTMartin]

I don't believe that is true, since several Americans have been caught and fined for sight-seeing in Banff when they were supposed to be driving directly to Alaska. I'm sure you can transit Canada.

Suggest you look up Canada Border Agency.

You can transit Canada to [/from] Alaska for a non-discretionary purpose. (returning home or travelling to a job)

Going to buy things in Canada (travel trailer) would be considered discretionary to my knowledge.

COVID-19: Stricter rules for foreign nationals transiting through Canada to Alaska

Additional reference: State of Alaska, COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information, Can I travel from Alaska through Canada by car?

 

[Mike Lewis]

Remember that it took years of public campaigns and legislation to get people conditioned to wear seat belts out of habit. Local radio stations here still run ads admonishing people to wear seat belts.

The mask issue seems like a direct analogy to me, but the Virus isn't going to give us years to adapt. The pandemic won't end until enough people are vaccinated. We are going to be wearing masks for quite a while.

 

[Mike Lewis]

The Canadian snowbird is a determined migratory species:

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada...da-with-their-cars-despite-closed-border.html

 

[Mike Lewis]

A neighbour of ours is married to a US citizen only 55 miles south of us. He was allowed into Canada after their baby was born

I read this while still half-asleep and it somehow registered as your 55-year-old neighbor's wife had a baby. The stuff of nightmares, I say. I'm awake now.