The Government of Saskatchewan and the state of North Dakota have come to an agreement after Premier Scott Moe and Governor Doug Burgum signed a Memorandum of Understanding to vaccinate essential workers who are transporting goods across the Canadian/American border.

Approximately 2,000 provincial residents will be eligible for the program.

The vaccination site, the North Dakota Department of Transportation, is located near Drayton, North Dakota, and is the same site currently working to vaccinate truck drivers from Manitoba. Saskatchewan truck drivers will be eligible at the site starting Wednesday and vaccinations will be available from noon to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

An additional vaccination site will also be set up near the Saskatchewan crossing at North Portal which will vaccination provincial truck drivers, as well as essential energy workers who regularly cross the border. The location for the site is currently being planned and will be released in the coming days.

There will be no cost to either the province of Saskatchewan or the state of North Dakota for the staff and infrastructure used to administer vaccinations.

"Trade with the United States is essential for the Saskatchewan economy," Premier Scott Moe said. "These essential workers are crossing the border to ensure our residents and those in the United States have access to the goods and services they need to get through this pandemic. This extraordinary level of cooperation helps protect more Canadians at a time when vaccine availability in America exceeds that of Canada, and we thank Governor Burgum for working with our province to make this happen."

"Protecting the health and safety of essential workers crossing our shared border with Saskatchewan, including truck drivers and energy workers, is vitally important for public health, our economy, and the eventual safe reopening of the border," Burgum said. "We are grateful to Premier Moe for his partnership on this initiative, which will ensure the safe delivery of goods and services across the border and strengthen the longstanding friendly relationship between North Dakota and our northern neighbours."