Washington Gov. Jay Inslee sent a letter this month to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, requesting immediate full or partial reopening of the U.S.-Canadian border to provide relief for individuals and communities along the Washington-British Columbia border.
Inslee is a Democrat who has enacted harsh lockdown policies in Washington State to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. He is requesting the use of a vaccine passport at the border, which would be voluntary for re-entry into the United States.
All of Washington moved into Phase 3 of Inslee’s reopening plan after a two-week pause in May. In Phase 3, event facilities with permanent seating are allowed to seat at 25 percent capacity for spectators who are physically distanced and wearing masks. Bars and restaurants are limited to 50 percent capacity. The state may fully reopen on June 30.
But Inslee wants the Biden Administration to pressure Canada to loosen its restrictions. Currently, the border is closed to all but essential traffic, which means Alaska border communities such as Haines, Skagway, and Hyder are cut off from commercial and transportation centers on the Canadian side of the border, and the entire state is cut off from
The letter reads, in part:
“Washington state has taken a science-based approach to the pandemic and has enacted public health measures that prioritize safety and protect the lives of Washingtonians. Because of rising vaccination rates, Washington State has a plan to reopen our economy statewide by June 30. Therefore, I respectfully request that the United States and Canadian governments, and specifically your departments, work to find innovative ways to reopen the border consistent with public health guidance.
“If a full border opening is not considered feasible, I would like to recommend that we prioritize the development of specific policies to partially open crossings. The hardships being experienced along the U.S.-Canadian border are significant, and measurable forward progress is needed,” Inslee wrote.
In addition to a reopening of the border, the governor also asked for additional actions, including:
- A binational approach that uses the NEXUS program as a way for travelers to voluntarily share vaccine records electronically with both the US and Canada.
- Using the ArriveCAN platform that is required for entry into Canada to share vaccine records and/or negative test results.
“The state of Washington and our friends in British Columbia stand ready to assist the federal governments in the development of pilot programs to safely open the border. We share a sense of urgency in meeting the needs of our impacted communities, with more than 60 percent of BC residents having received a first dose of vaccination, and a similar percentage of Washingtonians vaccinated, we believe that we can significantly mitigate the health risks associated with reopening our border by continuing to follow a data-driven, science-based approach and the guidance of our public health experts,” Inslee wrote.
Read the full letter here.
A vaccine passport database first. Maybe a social score too? This morning the US had 43.25 cases per million, Canada 36.98. US had total about 8600 cases, Canada 1200. Numbers are dropping rapidly as we reach herd immunity, as is the death rate. The time of holding free people hostage to politics is past. Let our people be free.
How dare you bring out facts. I want my spiked protein.
COVID is no longer the useful idiot. Open!
As usual, the script has yet to be written……………
WTFU!
Herd immunity is fully understood by farmers not greedy communist scientists trying to conquer the world before bedtime. Gene therapy injections given by those who admittedly have not even isolated the man-made virus are going to have hell to pay as the clots continue to form. Inflammation in hearts, swollen lymph glands, sterilization from the potassium chloride, leg clots in older men from the unique aluminum and my least favorite clots in the brain now given to 12 year Olds at Target! God help us. Herd immunity happens when those who naturally had experienced it survive the crappy protein spikes attached and miraculously lived. Down with the CCP and their evil plan. In the basic 8 ingredients included, the worst seem to be the ones that all start with a D, all by the way make up hydrogel which should never be in the circulatory system to begin with.
To Washington Gov. Jay Inslee may we respectfully suggest sticking to the ruination of your own state, which appears to be progressing as expected and leaving international debacles, such as what’s happening at America’s southern border, to the Biden-Harris team who seem to be doing quite well without your help.
Papers, please.
Inslee is a moron
The only think the left hate more than you? Is you being free.
Anyone who says they are “following the science” does not really understand science.
I still can’t believe, that people are still being locked up and told what to do.
I’m so glad I live in Alaska.
Like I’ve said before, nothing I MEAN nothing in my life has changed.
Except for stupid, afraid, people all around.
I’m living my life as I see fit, not the government telling me what to wear or do.
All others go to the edge of the cliff, then jump, one Sheep at a time.
New Research: COVID Infection Antibodies Could Last Years – The Epoch Times
Well said. But in all fairness, those same people who say “We follow the science” believe a man can become a woman and visa-versa. Science these days is all about how one “feels”. Yeah, science…..
Inslee is a fool, he is a lock down governor, he worried about reelection and nothing else. He should have to worry, the people of Washington are most liberal socialist idiots.
WA is number 8 in people vaccinated while AK is number 43, thanks to those living in Republican areas (Kenai Penn, Mat-Su, and some areas around Fairbanks).
Because of this ranking, WA will be able to successfully open up its economy ahead of many other states.
Move then Billy boy.
And yet, despite your fevered ravings, Bill Yankee, and all of your authoritarian-oriented and emotionally-based opinions to the contrary, not only Alaska, but other states such as Texas and Florida, HAVE already rescinded the anti-scientific covidian restrictions and mandates, and have opened up their economies, even while hard leftist strongholds such as Washington state continue to languish and fester in covidian hysteria and insanity.
.
Tell me, does it hurt, having reality so consistently smacking you in the face?
Note, I said “successfully open up.”
Further, those areas in AK that are lacking in vaccinations will surely be having issues with the virus as they attempt to open their schools and economy. And Florida just reported almost 1000 cases of the virus in their today’s report vs. Illinois’ 226 cases today (they both have about the same overall number of cases/1 million population). And 32 deaths vs. Illinois with 15. Texas hasn’t reported today as yet.
Of course you may want to poo-poo this stuff but you, of course, are an expert in this area right?
Get a grip Jefferson!
By the way, WA has about half the number of cases/1 million population that you call languishing.
Like I said get a grip or change your meds.
Move then Billy boy.
Here are today’s covid cases as reported by Florida and Texas, Jefferson: Florida-1719 and Texas 735 so you can see that they are doing poorly with their program. WA hasn’t reported today but they will be nowhere near those two states that you feel are the cat’s meow.
Reality is smacking someone in the face here-but it’s you IMO. And you are going to get pretty tired of me poking you over this bull manure you speak of.
Maybe you have another state that is better prepared than these two? And, of course, we have a few areas in AK that are in the same boat-you live in one? Heheh!
Is the Mexican border been closed? The useless idiots in DC allowed Canada to close the border.
Suzanne, I see you didn’t publish my earlier post relative to Florida vs. Illinois covid cases so I’ll try again since Texas has now published their cases for today via Worldometers site.
Texas reported today 1396 new cases and 28 deaths-something that Jefferson thinks is something to be commended.
Both Texas and Florida are in a case by themselves and it’s because they don’t take this virus seriously. Their folks will suffer because of their cavalier attitude.
Which vaccine did you take Billy boy?
Why is it, Bill Yankee, that YOU can apparently respond to other posters’ comments, but nobody else can?
Every attempt of mine to reply directly to your (inane, diversionary and ad hominem posts) end in failure, and unlike the situation here on MustReadAlaska last year, I see no other posters responding to the comments of other posters, except for you. Something is wrong and/or suspicious about that situation.
I will be getting that fixed soon. It has to do with browsers. And html coding. On the list. – sd
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