U.S.-Canada border to remain closed until COVID-19 cases are under control, Trudeau says

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he plans to keep the Canadian border closed as long as COVID-19 remain elevated in the United States.

“We have committed to keeping Canadians safe and we keep extending the border closures because the States is not in a place where we would feel comfortable reopening those borders,” he said Wednesday during an interview with a radio station in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

“We will continue to make sure that Canadian safety is top of mind when we move forward. We see the cases in the United States and elsewhere around the world, and we need to continue to keep these border controls in place.”

Both North American countries agreed to initially close the usually free-flowing border to non-essential travelers in March, very early in the pandemic.

The deadline has been extended several times, most recently last month when it was extended until at least the end of November. That deadline appears it will be extended again.

Truck drivers transporting essential goods like food, health-care professionals, and other workers with essential reasons to cross the border have been permitted.

According to Johns Hopkins’ global coronavirus tracker, the United States is approaching 8 million cases of COVID-19. At least 216,904 people have died from the virus.