U.S. Borders With Mexico and Canada to Remain Closed Through April 21

Source: AP

The U.S. has extended its land border closures with Canada and Mexico once again, government officials announced on Thursday.

The borders will remain closed to all non-essential travel through at least April 21, with the Department of Homeland Security stating that all three countries have “determined that non-essential travel…poses additional risk of transmission and spread of the virus.”

To prevent the further spread of COVID-19, and in coordination with our partners in Canada and Mexico, the United States is extending the restrictions on non-essential travel at our land borders through April 21, while ensuring continued flows of essential trade and travel.

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 18, 2021

According to Reuters, U.S. lawmakers say Americans who own property in Canada cannot maintain their homes and border towns and businesses have been hit hard by the lack of cross-border traffic.

Since January, the U.S. Government has required nearly all international air travelers to get a negative COVID test three days prior to travel. Whilst the Biden Administration has spent weeks reviewing whether to implement such COVID test measures at land borders, they have yet to issue any requirements.

While COVID-19 didn’t hit Canada as hard as it hit the U.S., variants are taking hold in some provinces with experts in Ontario calling for another lockdown in the province, CTV News reports.