News reporting on travel restrictions between Canada and the US during the COVID-19 pandemic: An equity-based analysis

The worldwide use of different types of travel measures during the COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented. However, there remains need for fuller understanding of how to apply travel measures for public health benefit, while taking account of their social and economic impacts, particularly on equity-deserving populations. This paper presents an equity analysis of 41 online news articles about travel restrictions (as one type of travel measure) on cross-border travel between Canada and the United States during the period from March 2020 and May 2023. Applying conceptual frameworks to understand health equity and social justice, we ask whether and how different forms of inequity associated with travel restrictions were presented in the media. Results reveal that certain inequities (e.g. those experienced by older adults, caregivers, etc.) were more often described in news coverage than others (i.e. racialized populations), with many key equity deserving groups not mentioned at all (i.e. people with disabilities). News reports depict travel restrictions causing disproportionate economic and social harms on low-income residents, tourism-dependent regions and cross-border communities, including certain Indigenous communities. Public concerns underscored what was perceived to be unsystematic and unpredictable policy implementation characterised, at times, by a lack of compassion and based on the discretionary powers of border officials. This analysis identifies how news reports shed light and frame certain inequities, for some individuals and populations, arising from Canada-U.S. travel restrictions. It highlights the need to amplify equity within future responses to global public health emergencies, but also key gaps in knowledge. The paper contributes fuller understanding of how travel restrictions interact with health, social and economic inequities, and puts forth policy recommendations about the use of travel measures during pandemics.