In an effort to address US-Canada border crossing issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, Congressman Don Young, and Governor Mike Dunleavy (all R-AK) sent a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, raising issues severely impacting Alaskans. In their letter, the Alaska Delegation highlighted specific, persisting challenges impacting the health and safety of Alaskans and proposed reasonable solutions.
“As we continue to work together to address the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, to keep our residents and citizens safe and healthy, we appreciate the consideration for reasonable land crossing exceptions for essential travel between Alaska and the contiguous United States through your country.”
The Delegation explained that each year Alaskans, many elderly and with medical conditions, journey south, traveling through Canada to the contiguous United States, in order to be closer to comprehensive medical facilities better equipped to address their healthcare needs in addition to being in a warmer climate, which is easier on their health. Such travel is currently considered non-essential according to Canada’s cross-border travel restrictions. In addition, the Delegation raised the unique circumstance of residents in Hyder, Alaska who are being impacted by current border closures. For example, the only grocery store in the region is located in nearby Stewart, British Columbia, and Hyder children typically attend the nearby Canadian schools.
“While there are many more individual instances of travel restrictions impacting daily lives, we highlight these two as some of the most pressing issues, but ones for which we think there are reasonable solutions to ensure the safety and health of both Canadians and Alaskans alike. We all agree that we must remain vigilant against the threats to the health and wellbeing of our people that COVID-19 has created. We have at-risk Alaskans who will soon be unable to complete their journey south by road due to snow and difficult winter conditions. We have Alaskans and Canadians, neighbors and families, separated by a single border post, unable to connect and collectively bear the burdens these global conditions have imposed on them.”
The Delegation proposed the following solutions, which would allow Alaskans to move forward with necessary travel while protecting Canadians from additional exposure to COVID-19:
- Allow an exception for non-discretionary, essential travel permitting Alaskans to transit south for the winter. This includes supporting a requirement that each Alaskan allowed to travel must present a negative COVID-19 test prior to transiting through Canada.
- Ease the current travel restrictions and grant a “travel bubble” to Hyder and Stewart, allowing residents to visit family and access essential supplies, schooling, medical care, religious services and other essential functions for these two highly-integrated, and very isolated communities.
Click here for the Alaska Delegation letter.