The extended restrictions will include increased enforcement and surveillance across most Canadian land borders in the coming weeks, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity, as they are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
By mutual agreement, the US-Canada border has been closed to all non-essential traffic since March. At least one public poll suggests Canadians are not eager for a reopening as the pandemic escalates dramatically in the U.S., where new cases of the diseases have reached 60,000 per day across the country.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to formally announce the decision later this week.
Public support for closed borders.
CNN has reached out to US officials for comment, including the White House.
A State Department spokesperson for the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs told CNN that “we have nothing to announce at this time,” adding that “Canada and Mexico remain strong partners as we work together to combat COVID-19.”
President Donald Trump and Trudeau briefly discussed the matter during a phone call Monday morning, according to Trudeau’s office. On Tuesday, the White House provided a reading of the call that did not mention an extension of the border closure.
“The two leaders recognized the importance of the historic United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that recently entered into force on July 1, 2020,” said a statement from Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere. “President Trump reiterated that the USMCA is an unprecedented achievement for all three countries that will help ensure that our economies emerge stronger from the coronavirus.”
Truck drivers, health workers, flight crews, and others, including the latest sports professionals, are currently exempt from Canada’s mandatory 14-day quarantine.
According to a survey, a large majority of Canadians say the border between the United States and Canada should remain closed for the foreseeable future. The United States has 3.37 million confirmed cases and more than 135,000 deaths as of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University, which reported that Canada has 110,058 cases and 8,836 deaths.
According to a CNN analysis, the US currently has the highest Covid death rate per capita in the Americas, with more than 41 coronavirus deaths per 100,000 residents. Canada’s death rate is about 23.5 per 100.00, according to the analysis.
Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford echoed Canadians’ apprehension at a reopening of the border on Monday when he admitted that the increase in cases in the US was a worrying development.
“I see these Florida numbers and they are amazing, 15,000 people who hired Covid in one day, that is scary,” Ford said during a press conference on Monday. “But we are being very vigilant, we are not rushing into anything; we are opening up slowly.”
Reflecting that reality, in a statement to CNN, the Canadian Public Health Agency says it is imposing new control measures at its international borders.
“To minimize the risk of importing Covid-19 cases into Canada, the Canadian Public Health Agency (PHAC) has staff at 36 points of entry in Canada. These high-volume ports of entry receive 90% of all incoming travelers. ” said the statement.
“PHAC has deployed officials, including screening officers, clinical screening officers and quarantine officers, to select high-volume ports of entry to support the Canadian Border Services Agency in conducting enhanced Covid-19 screening measures. These include conducting health assessments and determining the adequacy of quarantine and isolation as required by the Quarantine Act, “the statement continues.
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