Alaska's governor offers vaccines to B.C. and Yukon residents

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavysays he wants to offer vaccines to residents in Stewart, B.C. in thehopes thatit mightpermitCanada and the U.S. to reopenthe international border sooner.

"We feel we have enough vaccines to go and vaccinate folks in Stewart that have not yet been vaccinated if they so choose," Gov. Dunleavy toldPower & Politics host Vassy Kapelos.

Travel restrictions implemented by the federal and provincial governments have made it very hard for residents in Hyder,Alaskato access essential services and supplies in neighbouring Stewart.

The governor is also offering his state's surplus doses toYukon residents, sayingit could pave the way for a potential pandemic bubble encompassingAlaska, B.C. and Yukon.

"We believe that we're going to have enough vaccines for folks to come over from the Yukon," he said."We do have a large supply of vaccines at this point. We'll vaccinate anyone that comes into the state of Alaska."

Alaska's vaccination rollout is going well, saidDunleavy. In March, hisstate became one ofthe first in theU.S.to offerCOVID-19 vaccines to adults over the age of 16.

"Alaska's done a fairly good job of managing this virus, and we were a leader in getting the vaccination out to our people," he told Power & Politics.

The situation in B.C.is starkly different. There,only 30 per centof those eligible for a vaccine have received at least one dose.

Saskatchewan and Alberta, meanwhile,havereached an agreement with North Dakota to vaccinate truckers and energy workers crossing the Canada-U.S.border.

With files from the Associated Press.