Trudeau suggests 75 percent of Canadians must be vaccinated before border can open

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested that 75 percent of Canadians must be vaccinated before the US land border reopens.

In a discussion, Trudeau acknowledged that preliminary talks are ongoing to re-open the Canada-US land border, which has been closed for 14 months. Trudeau said that at least 75 percent of Canadians would need to be vaccinated before he believes the border can be safely opened. Canada's COVID situation is now in profound contrast to the United States, which has lifted its mask mandate due to high vaccination rates.

While the United States re-opens and enjoys large crowds at sporting events and lively bars, Canadians in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Alberta remain locked down.

Canada has experienced much lower vaccination rates than their neighbours to the south, and have struggled to meet the vaccine demand, reports The Canadian Press.

As of today, about 37 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated. In Canada, that number is 3.7 percent. Many of Canada's struggles have been blamed on the Trudeau Liberals' inability to secure adequate vaccine supply contracts, having seen numerous vaccine delays, with doses now finally arriving at higher rates.

American politicians are pushing Joe Biden to ensure that the US-Canada border is open in time for July 4th, a key date when it comes to re-opening for many Americans. Trudeau seems hesitant to set a firm date, but has said that Canadians should expect a "one-dose summer," meaning that most Canadians will not be fully vaccinated by July 4.