(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

As of yesterday, travellers no longer required a COVID test to enter or return to Canada and the Osoyoos Duty Free noticed twice as many customers come through compared to a normal day during the pandemic.

“We were busier than we had been, we weren’t run off our feet though,” said longtime employee Joan, who did not want her last name used.

“It was a manageable day.”

Joan was retained as an employee throughout the pandemic but had her hours reduced.

“We felt it was important to stay open for essential workers.”

But yesterday, April 1, wasn’t the first time since COVID when things felt like they were getting back to normal at the border.

"Some restrictions were lifted in August and Americans were allowed to come up in August, it was nice being able to see them able to come, and that increased our sales,” she said. “Then in November Canadians were allowed to go down.”

READ MORE: 'Tsunami of traffic' flooded into US through Osoyoos as soon as border reopened

But the trend of loosening restrictions reversed course later in 2021 when the Omnicron variant flared up.

“Hopefully this time the need for COVID tests have gone completely.”

Joan said many residents from the South Okanagan and Lower Mainland own vacation properties in Washington State, and yesterday she saw many of them for the first time in years.

She hopes the number of travellers crossing through Osoyoos and Oroville fully returns to normal by the Easter long weekend, which is next week. 

For those driving into the US, gasoline is considerably cheaper on the other side of the border. According to gasbuddy.com, regular fuel costs $1.89.9 CAD per litre in Osoyoos, and $5.19 USD per a gallon in Oroville, which is roughly $1.71 per litre Canadian.

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