The Canada-U.S. border closure has been extended for another month, as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to escalate south of the border.
According to federal Minister of Public Safety, Bill Blair, the extension means the border will remain closed to non-essential travellers until September 21, 2020.
“We will continue to do what’s necessary to keep our communities safe,” said Blair.
We are extending the reciprocal restrictions at the Canada-US border for another 30 days, till Sept. 21, 2020. We will continue to do what’s necessary to keep our communities safe.
— Bill Blair (@BillBlair) August 14, 2020
The initial border closure was announced in March, as a collaborative effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
As always, essential border crossings and trade movements will not be impeded by these measures.
The closure agreement exempts the flow of trade and commerce, as well as vital health care workers such as nurses who live and work on opposite sides of the border.
As of August 13, COVID-19 transmission continued to climb at an alarming rate in the U.S. as the country recorded over 55,000 new cases for a total of 5.4 million cases.
By comparison, Canada had 390 new cases yesterday for a total of 121,234.
