OTTAWA: Canada and the US have agreed to extend the crossborder closure to non-essential travels for another month until October 21 to slow the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair on Friday.
“We will continue to base our decisions on the best public health advice available to keep Canadians safe, “ Blair tweeted.
This is the sixth extension of the agreement since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The agreement, first imposed in March and has been renewed every month since then, is set to expire on September 21.
The restrictions have resulted in a dramatic drop in traffic between the two countries, although essential workers — such as truck drivers and health-care professionals — are still able to cross by land.
Truck drivers are critical as they move food and medical goods in both directions. Americans who are returning to the U.S. and Canadians who are returning to Canada are also exempted from the border closure.
And Canadians are still able to fly to US destinations. However, Canada sees a dramatic resurgence in the virus, along with long lines for testing in some cities. In the last two weeks, the number of cases being reported across the country each day has risen by nearly 50 per cent.
The United States has reported 6,694,434 cases and 198, 055 deaths, Johns Hopkins University said.