Cars enter the U.S. from Canada. (Provided photo — Press-Republican)

Several New York government and business leaders say Canada needs to do much more than the slight loosening of entry restrictions it announced Monday.

Starting July 5, fully vaccinated Canadian citizens and permanent residents will no longer have to quarantine for 14 days or more upon entering Canada. Yet each of those people still has to provide a negative COVID-19 test from 72 hours before arrival, take a second test upon arrival, and have a quarantine plan in case the second test comes back positive.

The U.S.-Canada border has been closed to non-essential travel since March 21, 2020 — 15 months — due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions have been lifted in much of the U.S., including New York, as full vaccination rates approach 50%. In Canada that rate lags behind at 12.8%, although 64% have received at least one vaccine dose, according to the Canada government’s website.

Canada also announced Friday that the border would remain closed to non-essential travel for another month, until at least July 21. Business and trade traffic has continued throughout the pandemic.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Canadian Ambassador Kirsten Hillman Friday to express his disappointment and push for more reopening action.

“I explained to Ambassador Hillman how mind-boggling it is that many New Yorkers are free to travel to Europe now, but even those fully vaccinated can’t even drive a few miles north to Canada to their homes, businesses, stores, families and properties!” Schumer said in a press release. “I urged her to coordinate with me and other U.S. officials ASAP to come up with a plan — based on science, data and common sense — that will allow for safe and steady border travel and reunite families and friends and jump-start New York’s local economies. I won’t rest until the northern border is safely and effectively opened for all vaccinated New Yorkers.”

New York state Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, said Canada’s latest announcement “is a step in the right direction, but it simply is not enough change to make a significant difference for folks across the North Country who have been struggling due to this border closure. I may sound like a broken record, but families continue to be separated and businesses continue to struggle due to these restrictions for the past 15 months.”

Garry Douglas, president of the North Country Chamber of Commerce in Plattsburgh, said the limited action “will assist some Canadians in the North Country in finally accessing family and property in Canada. However, it is entirely separate from the bi-national, across-the-board extension of border restrictions announced on Friday and going until at least July 21.”

Douglas called Canada’s latest border closure extension “a unilateral mandate.” He and Jones called on the U.S. government to respond by unilaterally letting Canadian enter this country to visit family, property, boats, businesses and airports.

At one point Jones called on the U.S. government to help vaccinate Canadians to speed up the process.

“The lack of action towards reopening the border is beyond frustrating for people across the North Country,” Jones said. Douglas called it “public policy malfeasance by both governments.”

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, has also been advocating for the U.S. to take unilateral action toward reopening the border.