The United States and Canada have reportedly mutually agreed to close their shared border to non-essential travel. This closure will not apply to commercial goods or legal and permanent residents of the United States. Specifics of the deal have not been revealed yet, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection are expected to formally announce the deal this week.
Donald Trump first sparked these reports with a tweet this morning. “We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic,” he wrote. “Trade will not be affected. Details to follow,” he added.
This is not the first time the United Stated Customs and Border Protection has enforced travel restrictions during this pandemic. There are currently travel restrictions between the America and Europe, China and Mexico.
As of last night, there were more than 186,000 cases of COVID-19 confirmed globally and just above 7,500 deaths. Within the United States, the CDC has reported 4,226 confirmed cases as of yesterday.
One of the most high profile confirmed cases involves Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife. Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Since then, the couple has been quarantined abroad.
As it stands now, members of the White House task force have indicated that precautionary measures like this may need to be in effect until July or August.
