(TAN): The United States, Canada and Mexico will extend travel restrictions for another 30 days amid the pandemic, the United States Department of Homeland Security said.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced that nonessential travel across the shared borders of the three countries will be extended for an additional month. He added that the decision was taken in “close collaboration” with the neighbouring countries.
“In close collaboration, the US, Mexico, and Canada have each agreed to extend restrictions on nonessential travel across their shared borders for 30 additional days,” he tweeted.
Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair said over the weekend that Canada and the United States have agreed to extend their existing border restrictions by 30 more days.
“Canada and the United States have agreed to extend our existing border measures by 30 days. As we fight COVID-19, we will continue to do everything we can to keep our people safe,” he wrote on Twitter.
Last month, the United States administration had said it would temporarily close its borders in the north and south to all nonessential travel to stem the spread of the coronavirus. However, essential travel related to trade was reportedly allowed to preserve the supply chains between the countries. Also, individuals travelling for medical purposes, work, emergency response and public health, and those engaged in diplomatic or government travel were also permitted, reports said.
According to reports, the officials had said that the restrictions would be reviewed after 30 days. The move reportedly came when the directive was about to expire.
The United States has reported more cases than either of its neighbors, according to data from Johns Hopkins University – while Canada and Mexico have 39,405 and 9,501 cases respectively, the United States has so far reported 825,041 cases.
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