TORONTO — The latest Canada-U.S. border reopening poll suggest that more than two-thirds of Canadians (69%) want to wait until Canada reaches the 75% threshold – at least – for full vaccinations before reopening the Canada-U.S. land border.

Some 31% of respondents in the Angus Reid Institute poll said 75%, and 38% said more than 75%.

Just over one in five Canadians (22%) said the Canada-U.S. border should reopen immediately. And 8% said when 50% of Canadians have been fully vaccinated.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the first phase of eased travel restrictions was going “extremely well.” Those eased restrictions, which took effect July 5, eliminated quarantine for fully vaccinated returning Canadians and permanent residents. The ban against all non-essential travel is still in place.

However Trudeau refused to say yesterday when further changes might come. “We will make the appropriate announcements at the appropriate time,” he said.

The next renewal date for the Canada-U.S. border closure is July 21. Trudeau said last month that it could be a matter of weeks, not months, before more restrictions are eased.

More than half (54%) of respondents to the Angus Reid poll said they through the July 5 eased travel restrictions were well-timed. One-fifth (21%) said Ottawa waited too long to implement the change, and 25% said the decision was too rushed.

COULD THE U.S. GO IT ALONE?

Experts and observers have been speculating about whether the U.S. might lift its own restrictions along the northern border before Canada is prepared to reciprocate. 

It would be “suboptimal” if the U.S. decided to go it alone, said David Jacobson, a U.S. ambassador to Canada under former president Barack Obama who now serves as vice-chair with BMO Financial Group.

“People move back and forth, sometimes within a matter of hours; well, if one side is open, and the other side requires 14 days of suffering, that’s not going to work,” said Jacobson.

With file from The Canadian Press