U.S. Canada border to remain closed to non-essential travel until June 21
WASHINGTON - The United States has agreed to Canada's request to extend the mutual ban on non-essential cross-border travel until June 21.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the extension today.
He calls it an important decision that will protect citizens in both countries.
The deal, which prohibits discretionary travel while permitting trade shipments, commerce, and essential workers to continue to move in both directions, was first reached in mid-March and extended for 30 days last month.
A light flow of vehicles from Windsor, Canada, that traveled through the Detroit Windsor Tunnel enter the customs area in Detroit, Michigan on March 18, 2020. - US and Canada have mutually agreed on March 18, 2020 to temporarily restrict " non essent
Officials and stakeholders on both sides of the border have hailed the agreement as a successful measure in curbing the spread of COVID-19 while ensuring vital supply chains remain intact.
The U.S. is currently home to more than 1.5 million active cases of COVID-19, 42 percent of the world's active caseload, and a death toll that crossed the 90,000 threshold over the weekend, growing at a rate of more than 1,000 fatalities a day.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 19, 2020.