US borders with Canada and Mexico will be closed for another month
- Homeland Security said borders will be closed until 22 June and reviewed often
- Canadian PM Trudeau said the border will be closed to all non-essential travel
- Longest international frontier at 5.5k miles was closed to travellers on March 21
- Trade in goods between Canada and Mexico continues despite the outbreak
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
The US government today extended for another month restrictions on non-essential travel across the borders with Canada and Mexico to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The US Department of Homeland Security said the closure, first ordered on March 20 and due to expire Wednesday, will be extended until June 22 and reviewed every 30 days.
‘Non-essential travel will not be permitted until this administration is convinced that doing so is safe and secure,’ said interim DHS chief Chad Wolf.
In this file photo US Customs officers speaks with people in a car beside a sign saying that the US border is closed at the US/Canada border in Lansdowne, Ontario, on March 22, 2020
‘We have been in contact with our Canadian and Mexican counterparts and they also agree that extending these restrictions is prudent at this time.
We appreciate our partnership with Mexico and Canada in ensuring that North America is working together to combat the ongoing global pandemic,’ he said.
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced earlier that the Canada-US border will remain closed to all non-essential travel for another month, until June 21 to fight the spread of the coronavirus.
The world’s longest international frontier at 5,500 miles was closed to travellers on March 21, but trade in goods has continued.
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced earlier that the Canada-US border will remain closed to all non-essential travel for another month, until June 21 to fight the spread of the coronavirus
Street vendors stand next to the road on the Ysidro border crossing on April 27, 2020 in Tijuana, Mexico
The prime minister also left open the possibility of further extensions. ‘We will continue to watch carefully what’s happening elsewhere in the world and around us as we make decisions on next steps,’ he said.
Mexico shares a 1,900 mile border, and travel limitations have been in place since March 20. As in the Canadian case, trade in goods continues.
The United States, Canada and Mexico have been part of a regional free trade agreement since 1994.