U.S. and Canada Border will Temporarily Close amid Coronavirus Outbreak
President Donald Trump said the U.S. and Canada agreed to close the border between the two countries to non-essential traffic as coronavirus spreads, trade will not be affected.
U.S. and Canada Borders Temporarily Closed
The U.S. and Canada have agreed to close the border separating the countries amid the COVID-19 outbreak, confirmed President Donald Trump in a tweet today.
The president stated non-essential travel would be impacted.
Trump also stated trade would not be affected, with the promise of more details to come as soon as possible.
We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic. Trade will not be affected. Details to follow!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2020
The indefinite ban - blocking leisure travel and tourism between the two countries - will have wide exemptions for business and commerce, according to two officials familiar with the matter.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this week urged Canadians abroad to return home, and restricted flights from places other than the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean.
As reported by USA Today, rumors had been circling for days that the spread of COVID-19 closed the U.S. border with Canada, Kris Grogan, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Friday evening.
Grogan said those rumors were false in a press release Friday.
Processing thousands of people per day puts border agents at increased risk for contracting COVID-19 and passing it along to others.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees have been permitted to use personal protective equipment, such as masks, in appropriate circumstances.
Both the U.S. and Canada border agencies have reported increasing their questions at the entry about international travel and health to spot ill travelers during the spread of the coronavirus.
What is in the Agreement?
Details of the final deal have yet to be released in writing but both leaders have stressed that cross-border trade will not be blocked.
Supply chains must be preserved so trucking would not be affected, Mr. Trudeau said.
“That is something we remain committed to,” he added.
Approximately $2bn in goods and services crosses the US-Canada border each day.
Canadians who needed to travel for other “urgent reasons” would also not be impacted, Mr. Trudeau said.
There is no set timeframe for how long the border closure will last.
Coronavirus Travel Bans: Who Can't Come into the U.S. Now?
Trump did not get into specifics about the new Canada restrictions as of this morning, but there is a growing list of other countries' citizens who are unable to enter the U.S. at this time.
All foreign nationals from China, Iran, and certain European countries are barred from entering the United States.
This ban includes anyone who visited these countries within the 14 days prior to their U.S. trip.
The European countries include Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. President Donald Trump later added the United Kingdom and Ireland to this list.
U.S. citizens are allowed to return home but must fly into 13 designated airports and undergo “enhanced entry screening.”
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