CALAIS — Sen. Susan Collins said the Canadian province of New Brunswick’s move toward reopening its border with Maine this summer is good news for both countries.

Maine has more than 600 miles of border with New Brunswick and Quebec.

The government of New Brunswick recently unveiled a plan to allow travel between the province and Maine starting July 1 as long as 75 percent of New Brunswick residents age 12 and older have received their first dose of a vaccine. The opening will also require the approval of the federal government in the United States.

Collins said the closed border “has taken a severe toll on the many Mainers who have been unable to visit Canadian relatives and small businesses that have lost Canadian customers.” She said New Brunswick’s reopening plan is a welcome “light at the end of the tunnel for many Maine families and small businesses.”

New Brunswick will have to make some vaccine progress to reach its stated goal. About a fifth of New Brunswick residents age 65 and older have received their second dose of the vaccine. However, hospitalizations in the province have been low.