(TAN): Canada has extended a restriction on non-essential international entries until the end of November following a rise in Covid-19 cases. However, quarantine rules have been relaxed for some cut-off Canada-US border communities, reports said.
The travel ban has been in force since mid-March, while Ottawa and Washington have a separate arrangement prohibiting non-essential travel between their two countries set to expire one week earlier.
Travellers allowed to Canada despite the ban — including essential workers, students, and spouses, children, parents or guardians of Canadian citizens — are required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
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But Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said to the media that “some practical adjustments” to the rule would be made to allow residents of a few outlier communities to cross the border for food and medical care without having to self-isolate after each trip.
As many as 400,000 people reportedly cross the Canada-US border everyday. But the number has fallen off since the travel restrictions were put in place due to the pandemic.