The US-Canada border will temporarily close to “non-essential traffic” due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. The US-Canada border is the world’s longest between two countries. Trudeau on Monday closed Canada’s border to non-citizens, with U.S. citizens exempt from the ban.
The closing will affect tourism, but not trade, or workers involved in so-called essential work.
“We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic,” President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter. “Trade will not be affected.”
We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic. Trade will not be affected. Details to follow!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2020
Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau, at a press conference in Ottawa, said “I just spoke to President Trump again this morning, and we have agreed that both Canada and the United States will temporarily restrict all non-essential travel across the Canada-U.S. border.”
“Canada and the United States will temporarily restrict all non-essential travel across the Canada-U.S. border,” said Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau. “Essential travel will continue…it is critical that we preserve supply chains between both countries.” https://t.co/3zXoHbACiy pic.twitter.com/8M2HFgwNMq
— Power & Politics (@PnPCBC) March 18, 2020
MacDailyNews Note: More info on the Prevention & Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) via the U.S. CDC is here. Track the Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) here.