Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday that his country’s border with the United States will remain closed to non-essential travel for an additional 30 days.
Mr. Trudeau said that Canada and the U.S. have agreed to extend restrictions put in place in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic that had been set to expire on Tuesday.
“This is an important decision and one that will keep people on both sides of the border safe,” Mr. Trudeau said during a news conference in Ottawa.
“It’s another example of the excellent collaboration between our two countries,” Mr. Trudeau added.
The measures, which took effect March 21, temporarily restrict non-essential trips between Canada and the U.S., such as travel considered tourism or recreational in nature.
Along with domestic restrictions put in place on each side of the border, the measures are meant to slow the spread of COVID-19, the infectious and potentially deadly respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
More than 700,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed cases in Canada is around 33,000, meanwhile.
The U.S. and Canada share a land border more than 5,500 miles in length. President Trump claimed Wednesday it “will be one of the early border” to re-open.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.