Plan To Open Northern Border Welcome News for Families, Business in Maine

News out of the Department of Homeland Security this week has many businesses and families excited for the upcoming holiday season.

The DHHS announced that starting next month,  it will open the borders between the United States and both Canada and Mexico, to those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19.

As they explain on their website, it will happen in two steps, we're told:

"First, in November, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin allowing fully vaccinated travelers from Mexico or Canada to enter the United States at land and ferry POEs for non-essential reasons. Travelers will be required to have appropriate paperwork that provides proof of vaccination. Individuals who have not been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 will not be allowed to travel for non-essential purposes from Canada and Mexico into the United States via land and ferry POEs. "

The second step will come after the New Year, in January of 2021.

"DHS will require that all inbound foreign national travelers crossing U.S. land or ferry POEs – whether for essential or non-essential reasons – be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination. This approach will provide ample time for essential travelers such as truckers, students, and healthcare workers to get vaccinated."

The Department says the new way of doing things will allow for "consistent, stringent protocols for all foreign nationals traveling to the United States" while taking into account the open availability of most people to get vaccinated.

Folks in towns near those borders are hoping the new protocols will mean a return to business for many who have, in the past, relied on travel between countries to boost local economies.

Hopefully, both the economies and the families can all recover as the borders open back up.