'Might not be for the faint of heart': What Canadians need to know about travelling across the U.S. land border
With the United States set to reopen its land and sea border to fully vaccinated Canadians for non-essential travel for the first time since March 2020, many Canadians are set to hit the road headed south.
However, road tripping in the age of COVID requires a bit more planning, according to the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada.
“While we’re all really excited to get travelling again, it might not be for the faint of heart,” said Will McAleer, the association’s executive director.
McAleer said travellers need to set a plan for themselves before leaving and understand their health coverage when they’re abroad. He advises calling your insurance provider to ask key questions in preparation.
“Are you concerned about a particular medical condition that you’ve got? In which case, you want to ask that question - ‘am I going to be covered for, maybe it’s a breathing disorder that I’ve got, maybe asthma. If something happens to me and I’m in the hospital as a result of that, will I be covered?’”, he explained.
“You want to make sure that you understand that before you go, because you want to shop around and get the best policy that’s going to suit your individual needs.”
McAleer notes the U.S. does not require a negative COVID-19 test to enter the country through its land border and ferry terminals. However, one is required upon return. It’s a policy he feels should be revised, noting the tests can be costly, inconvenient, and ineffective at detecting COVID exposure if the trip is short.
He also believes it’s important to know what your policy will and won’t cover if you contract COVID-19 while travelling abroad.
“Now that the global travel advisory has been removed, if you’re going to a place that’s okay to travel, for instance, the U.S., you’re going to be protected for that if you get sick related to COVID and you end up in a hospital, you’ve got medical expenses,” he said.
“What you’re not likely to be covered for, and what you need to check for, is whether or not it’s going to cover you for a quarantine period, and that’s really important to know. Ask your insurer.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.