U.S. agrees to Canada’s request to extend non-essential travel ban into June

WASHINGTON — The United States has agreed to Canada’s request to extend the mutual ban on non-essential cross-border travel until June 21.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the extension today.

He calls it an important decision that will protect citizens in both countries.

The deal, which prohibits discretionary travel while permitting trade shipments, commerce and essential workers to continue to move in both directions, was first reached in mid-March and extended for 30 days last month.

Officials and stakeholders on both sides of the border have hailed the agreement as a successful measure in curbing the spread of COVID-19 while ensuring vital supply chains remain intact.

The U.S. is currently home to more than 1.5 million active cases of COVID-19, 42 per cent of the world’s active caseload, and a death toll that crossed the 90,000 threshold over the weekend, growing at a rate of more than 1,000 fatalities a day.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2020.

The Canadian Press