Rebekah F. Ward reports in the Times Union that New York Senator Chuck Schumer said on July 6 that if Canadian officials won't reopen the border the United States should act alone. Schumer said said it is “time” for the U.S. to “finally take the first move in good faith to safely reopen the border to vaccinated Canadians.” Schumer is now echoing what Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik has been saying for awhile. Schumer is now urging the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to take a first step to “unilaterally expand the definition of essential travel to include vaccinated Canadian citizens with family, property, educational, medical, or business interests in the United States.” Canadian officials have extended the pandemic-induced joint border closure through July 21. New York shares a 445-mile border with Canada. On July 5 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he is “hopeful that we're going to see new steps on reopening announced in the coming weeks." Read more about this story in the Times Union.