Canada-US border shutdown extended

Since the beginning of the pandemic, countries have tried to contain the spread of the virus and shut down their borders to that end. Canada and the United States came to a mutual agreement to keep their shared border closed for non-essential travelers. The border lockdown has since been extended every month.

Recent reports find that the border will continue to remain closed until 21 October, at the very least. However, the prevailing trend indicates that the lockdown might even extend until the end of the year, and there is nothing one can do about it.

Allowances and restrictions

Canada formally announced that the southern border is set to remain closed until October 21, 2020, in order to combat the spread of COVID-19. This was the sixth extension made to the border closure between Canada and the United States. Bill Blair, the Minister of Public Safety, sent out a tweet saying that the border will be closed for all non-essential travel between the United States and Canada for now.

Citizens of the United States citizens will be allowed to travel to Canada only if they can present an essential purpose. Essential travel is inclusive of people crossing the border to fulfill essential work requirements as well as trade shipments via railways and trucks. Moreover, Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in the U.S. will be allowed to cross the border, as will immediate family members. By Canada’s definition, immediate family members refer to children, parents, step-parents, spouses, and common-law partners. Any non-essential travel for the purposes of tourism, shopping, or any other kind of entertainment, is forbidden.

Is the U.S. safe?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that the United States witnessed more than 6.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-10 until 16 September, while Canada has only had 139,747 confirmed cases. There is a significant difference in population between both the countries, but the numbers are still higher for the United States.