America’s land borders with Canada and Mexico will likely be closed to nonessential travel till at least April 21.
“To prevent the further unfold of COVID-19, and in coordination with our partners in Canada and Mexico, America is extending the restrictions on a nonessential travel at our land borders by April 21, while ensuring continued flows of essential trade and travel,” the Department of Homeland Security announced via tweet.
Till then, DHS said, “We will work with our counterparts to identify an approach to easing restrictions when conditions allow and with the protection of our citizens from COVID-19 at the forefront of our minds.”
Sunday will mark a full year of border closures. DHS and its Canadian and Mexican counterparts enacted the initial closure on March 21, 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic started to spread throughout North America. It has been prolonged on a month-to-month basis since then.
Within the intervening yr, Canada has tightened its border safety, requiring anyone entering by plane or land to be tested in advance for COVID-19 and banning cruise ships from its waters until February 2022. In addition, anyone traveling to Canada from the U.S. must prove that they are doing so for essential reasons and must quarantine upon arrival.
By contrast, Individuals can still fly into Mexico, one of the few nations in Latin America – and the world – to have instituted almost no measures to restrict travelers, require mandatory testing, or order isolation upon arrival.
Passengers bound for Mexico just have to fill out a form asking about their risk factors for COVID-19 and their contact details.
However, as of Jan. 26, Americans returning from Mexico are required to present a negative COVID test before boarding a flight to the U.S. Resorts in Quintana Roo, the Mexican state that’s home to popular tourist destinations like Cancun and Tulum, have responded by providing on-site testing for their departing guests within the 72-hour window required by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
America’s improvements with its coronavirus epidemic are stalling, with 23 states now reporting more new cases within the week ending Wednesday than they did a week earlier. The national stall hides dynamics where some states have continued improving and some have worsened.