BUFFALO, N.Y. — Even as the United States opened its border to Canadian citizens earlier this month, immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi said it was still difficult for our northern neighbors to make the trip because the Canadian government required proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours before re-entry.

"The rapid PCR tests were expensive," she said. "They're around $200, so some people are like, ‘I'm just not going to do that,’ but now that that requirement is going to go away, I think it's going to be great for border towns like Western New York, where we'll see Canadians going to shopping and different events."

The Canadian government is expected to announce Friday it will remove that requirement for citizens spending less than 72 hours in the U.S. While it's not clear yet when that will go into effect, Berardi believes it may be as soon as the end of the month.

"I would love for it to be Thanksgiving so Canadians can come down and enjoy Black Friday, although a lot of the shelves are bare," she said. "That's another conversation."

Rep. Brian Higgins, D-NY-26, said the loosening of restrictions will again happen in a phased fashion, with the testing requirement remaining in place for Americans entering Canada for now. They have been allowed in Canada since August and Berardi says Western New Yorkers with family or property across the border have taken advantage of it in spite of the extra step.

"Certainly people craving Swiss Chalet are not going up to Canada because it is just cumbersome to get that test," Berardi said.

The attorney said the disjointed fashion in which both countries have reopened the border has made traveling confusing. She hopes Friday, Canada will make the latest rules abundantly clear.

"We're just getting a lot of people that are reading the news and then they're calling to say, ‘is this really how it works?’ because there's been so many confusing rules that people, before they get in their car and start to travel, really want to know how it all fits together," Berardi said.

She said she believes Canada may outline at least a general timeline about the upcoming phases as well.