Ontarians need to assess risk before crossing border: Dr. Moore

The federal government is expected to announce on Friday that it will lift COVID-19 testing requirements for cross border trips that are shorter than 72 hours.

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health is out with a warning, cautioning people about rushing across the land border right away.

Dr. Kieran Moore says it will be all about risk assessment going forward.

“Ontario remains one of the safest locations in Canada right now,” said Moore on Thursday. “At a provincial rate our numbers are around 28 cases per 100,000. As soon as you go across the border to Michigan or New York you are looking at rates of illness five or six times higher than ours.”

“It may be higher in certain communities. The risk as soon as you leave is higher than what we are experiencing in Ontario.”

While Ontario’s rolling seven-day average has been climbing for the better part of a month, it still sits below the 600 mark. The rolling weekly averages in Michigan and New York are more than ten times that number, cases in both states have been on the rise since late October.

Michigan’s seven-day average sits north of 8,000 and is the highest at any point since the start of the pandemic. New York’s rolling average of infections is nearly 6,000.

“If you are ready to take that risk on, please go ahead,” said Moore. “Make sure you are taking all appropriate precautions.”

Moore urges anyone who does cross the border to ensure they regularly wear masks and wash their hands. He added that anyone returning with any COVID symptoms should seek a test.

On Friday afternoon, federal ministers are set to discuss easing the measures at the border and doing away with the rule that requires travellers taking short trips to the U.S. to present a negative molecular COVID-19 test in order to get back into the country.

Reports suggest the amended rules are set to come into effect at the end of the month.

The changes would come just ahead of the holiday season. Scrapping the testing requirement has been a demand from businesses and tourism groups on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, with many unable to take quick trips across the line because of what are often costly PCR tests needed for re-entry to Canada.