Restrictions on non-essential travel at land borders between the United States, Canada and Mexico will run until August 21, Canada and the United States announced Thursday.
“Canada and the United States agreed to extend the current border measures for one month until August 21, and we will continue to work closely with our American neighbors to keep people safe on both sides of the border,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a press conference.
Earlier, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf announced the 30-day extension on Twitter that “close collaboration with our neighbors has enabled us to respond to # COVID19 on a North American approach and delay the spread of the virus related to the trips”.
The rules, first issued in March, have been repeatedly extended into 30-day blocks.
The restrictions do not cover trade across a border between the United States and Canada that spans 5,525 miles (8,891 km) or air travel.
Passenger volume has decreased by 90 percent or more at many border crossings and has reached tourist destinations along the borders of the United States.
Drivers wait to cross Canadian customs at the Canada-United States border, which will remain closed to non-essential traffic until August 21. [File: Jesse Winter/Reuters]
In May, passenger traffic in Detroit dropped to 45,000 people crossing, compared to 502,000 in February.
In San Ysidro, California, on the border between the United States and Mexico, passenger and pedestrian traffic decreased from more than 2.9 million people in February to 1.3 million in May.
The restrictions do not apply to commuters going to work, nor to people traveling for family, educational or humanitarian reasons.
SOURCE:
Reuters news agency
.
