The border between Canada and the U.S. looks set to remain closed to all non-essential travel until at least August 21, Canadian network CTV is reporting.
Talks have been ongoing between the two countries, with the current closure set to expire on July 21. Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump had a call yesterday to discuss the situation and the Canadian PM said afterwards that his administration was “going to continue to work hard to keep Canadians safe and to keep our economies flowing”.
Government figures in the U.S. have been petitioning Canada to re-open the border, which has been closed since March, with an open letter recently penned by 29 members of Congress asking for “a comprehensive framework for phased reopening”.
However, Canada has maintained the health off its citizens is a priority, and with coronavirus cases spiking in the U.S., the one-month extension to the closure was somewhat predictable. Confirmed infections in the U.S. have now reached nearly 3.5 million, with close to 140,000 deaths, while Canada by contrast has close to 110,000 cases and under 9,000 deaths.
Essential travel remains permitted and while film and TV work is considered nonessential, American cast and crew can secure temporary work visas to cross the border, though in some instances will be subject to a quarantine period upon arrival.