Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling for the full reopening of the Canadian border, urging the Biden administration to allow non-essential travel of vaccinated Canadians into the country. The federal government has extended the ban on non-essential travel over ports of entry and land crossings from Canada through October 21, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues this week. Both New York Democrats and Republicans have called on the federal government to fully allow Canadian travel again, pointing to the economic damage the ban has caused, especially for upstate businesses. The border closure is estimated to cost the U.S. economy $1.5 billion a month. “New York and Canada have a valuable economic partnership that has been deeply affected by travel restrictions put in place to prioritize the health and safety of so many New Yorkers who live along the border. However, the circumstances have changed and it’s time to allow fully vaccinated Canadians to travel safely into the United States across the northern border,” Gillibrand said. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.