The United States will continue to limit nonessential travel from Canada to America through land ports of entry or ferry service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed on Wednesday.
“These restrictions go into effect at 12 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on June 23, 2020 and will remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. EDT on July 21, 2020,” CBP said in a Federal Register post.
The Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf decided to continue the travel restriction because continued transmission and spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus, between the United States and Canada posted a “specific threat to the human life or national interests,” the agency stated.
The extension was announced by the Canadian government on June 16.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the border travel restrictions will remain in place until July 21 even as the two nations continue to reopen.
“This is an important decision that will keep people in both of our countries safe,” Trudeau said.
According to the rule posted by the CBP, U.S. citizens and green card holders returning to the United States are allowed to use the border. Individuals traveling for medical purposes, to attend educational institutions, to work in the United States, for emergency response, and for public health purposes are not subject to the restrictions.
Travel related to lawful cross-border trade, governmental and diplomatic affairs is also permitted.
The Trump administration attributed the increase in new cases to increased testing.
Speaking at a White House roundtable on June 15, Vice President Michael Pence said that increased cases of COVID-19 infections in some states were caused by a “dramatic increase in testing.”
“Our team has been working with governors over the past week. We’re carefully analyzing those new cases, and we really believe that the vast majority of new cases is a reflection, as you said, of a dramatic increase in testing,” he said.
