Coronavirus digest: US to open Canada border

Washington, Oct 13: The United States is set to reopen its borders to fully vaccinated travelers from Canada in early November, lawmakers have announced.

The US has also decided to allow fully vaccinated travelers from Mexico to enter the country for non-essential travel through all ports of entry, the office of New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said.

The border closures with Canada have been in place since March 2020.

Here are the latest major coronavirus developments from around the world:

Americas

A Texas judge has temporarily put a stop to United Airlines from placing employees on unpaid leave, if they have received religious exemptions for COVID-19 vaccinations. The order will remain in place until October 26.

Six employees of United Airlines — which in August became the first US airline to require vaccinations for all domestic members of staff — have filed a class action claiming that workers who sought exemptions from the vaccine mandate had to deal with intrusive inquiries about their medical conditions or religious beliefs, including a requirement that they acquire letters from pastors.

Panama has approved a booster dose of BioNTech-Pfizer's vaccine for those who are deemed high-risk, such as healthcare workers, bedridden patients, nursing home residents and people aged over 55, health officials said.

/jsi (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Source: DW