Canada to admit vaccinated U.S. tourists after more than 16 months

FILE PHOTO: A U.S. and a Canadian flag flutter at the Canada-United States border crossing at the Thousand Islands Bridge, which remains closed to non-essential traffic to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lansdowne, Ontario, Canada September 28, 2020. REUTERS/Lars Hagberg

(Corrects WestJet Airlines capacity in paragraph 15 to 40% from 60% after spokesperson amends figure)

OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada on Monday said it would allow fully vaccinated U.S. tourists into the country starting from Aug. 9 after the COVID-19 pandemic forced an unprecedented 16-month ban that many businesses complained was crippling them.