"It's disheartening," WNYers with homes in Canada react to border closure extension

Increasing COVID cases in the U.S. are keeping the U.S.-Canadian border closed for at least another month.

That move is leaving cottage owners in a quandary.

AMERICANS WITHPROPERTY ACROSSTHE BORDER AREURGING THECANADIANGOVERNMENT TOCONSIDER THEMESSENTIALTRAVELERS...ALLOWING THEM TOCROSS THE BRIDGE.BUT AUTHORITIESTHERE ARE NOTREADY TO TAKE THERISK.AND ONE LOCALLAWMAKER SAYS THBORDER WILL LIKELYREMAIN CLOSED UNTILTHE WHITE HOUSETAKES ACTION TOSTOP THE SPREAD OFCOVID-19.HERE'S 7 EYEWITNESNEWS REPORTERTAYLOR EPPS.FOR THE PAST FORTYYEARS...JERRY RITCHAND HIS WIFE HAVESPENT THEIRSUMMERS ACROSSTHE BORDER AT THEIRCOTTAGE INSOUTHERN ONTARIO.JERRY "IT'S A LONGTRADITION AND A LOTOF LEGACY THERE TOUSE THAT SOUTHERNBORDER AND GETOVER TO CANADA ANDTHAT'S GONE, IT'SABSENT."THE BORDER HASBEEN CLOSED FORMORE THAN 100 DAYSNOW..HE SAYS IT'S BEEN AHASSLE TO MAINTAINTHE PROPERTY WITHNO ACCESS.RITCH HAS BEENWATCHING CLOSELYTO FIND OUT WHEN HECAN GET BACK TO HISSUMMER HOME.JERRY "THE GOAL POSTKEEPS ON MOVING!

INTHE WRONG DIRECTIONUNFORTUNATELY."THE BAN ON NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVELWAS SUPPOSED TOEND NEXT WEEK..BUTIT'S BEEN EXTENDEDFOR ANOTHER MONTH.HIGGINS "WE HAVETRIED EVERY WAY TOGET MORE PEOPLEACROSS THAT BORDER,BUT AS LONG AS USCOVID-19 CASES AREINCREASINGEVERYDAY, YOU CANSEE WHY CANADIANSDON'T WANTAMERICANS ON THEIRLAND."ACCORDING TOCONGRESSMAN BRIANHIGGINS, THE NUMBEROF CASES WAS 21TIMES HIGHER IN THEUS THAN IN CANADALAST WEEK.HIGGINS "NOTHING'SGOING TO CHANGE 30DAYS FROM NOW UNTILTHOSE NUMBERS INTHE UNITED STATESBEGIN TO TRENDDOWN."RITCH IS ASKING THECANADIANGOVERNMENT TOMAKE AN EXCEPTIONFOR HOMEOWNERS.JERRY "BECAUSE WECOULD FOLLOW THECDC GUIDELINES VERYEASILY.

WE CAN SELFQUARANTINE, BECAUSEOBVIOUSLY WE HAVE APLACE TO STAY, WECAN WEAR A MASK ANDWE CAN PRACTICESOCIAL DISTANCING."CONGRESSMANHIGGINS SAYS HEHEARS FROMHOMEOWNERS LIKEJERRY EVERY DAY ANDHE'S TRIED TO EXPANDTHE RULES TO MAKETHEM ESSENTIALTRAVELERS..HIGGINS "FOR THESAME REASONS,CANADIANS ARE NOTRECEPTIVE."HE SAYS IT'S ON THEFEDERALGOVERNMENT TOMAKE CHANGES ANDDECREASE THENUMBER OF CASESNATIONALLY.HIGGINS "MY HOPE ISTHAT THIS WILL JOLTUS CDC AND THEPRESIDENT TO TAKEMORE DECISIVE ACTIONRELATIVE TO SOCIALDISTANCING."AND AS FOR RITCH..RITCH "EVERYDAY WEJUST TAKE ONE DAY ATA TIME AND WE KEEPON HOPING.

THAT'S ALLWE CAN DO."IN BUFFALO, TAYLOREPPS, 7EWN