Canada, US Extend Border Restrictions 30 Days to Control Coronavirus Spread

By Staff, Agencies

Canada and the United States agreed to extend border restrictions for another 30 days to help control the spread of coronavirus, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Saturday.

Washington and Ottawa agreed last month to clamp down on non-essential travel while allowing trade to continue across their long shared frontier during the coronavirus outbreak.

The restrictions were due to expire next week. Trudeau said the agreement is unchanged, and he expected shipments of medical supplies such as masks will continue to cross the border.

Relatively, US President Donald Trump issued a memorandum this month that directed federal agencies to keep highly sought-after medical supplies in the United States. US manufacturing company 3M Co reached a deal with the Trump administration, however, allowing it to continue to export masks to Canada and Latin America.

Canada’s death toll from COVID-19, the respiratory disease associated with the new coronavirus, rose 8% to 1,346 deaths, a government website said. Reported cases climbed 6% to 32,412.

Quebec is the epicenter of Canada’s outbreak, with seniors in care homes accounting for most of the province’s 805 deaths.