US Borders with Canada, Mexico to Remain Closed thru June 21

Photo: The New York Times

The Department of Homeland Security says the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico will remain restricted through at least June 21, with only trade and essential travel allowed until then.

DHS confirmed the move in a tweet Thursday, but noted it is "working closely with Canada & Mexico to safely ease restrictions as conditions improve."

The agency, in conjunction with its Canadian and Mexican counterparts, originally closed the U.S.' northern and southern borders to leisure travelers in March 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The restrictions have been extended on a monthly basis ever since.

In the intervening year, Canada has tightened its border security, requiring anyone entering by plane or land to be tested in advance for COVID-19. 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.

In February, Canada announced it was banning cruise ships from its waters until 2022. Since then, legislators have worked to salvage the 2021 Alaska cruise season. Last week, the U.S. Senate passed the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, which would allow large cruise ships to skip required stops in Canadian ports while traveling between Washington and Alaska.

Southbound travel from the U.S. into Mexico's northern border cities has gone unchecked since the beginning of the pandemic, and Americans can still fly there. However, last week the governor of Quintana Roo state, home to the tourist-friendly towns of Cancún, Cozumel and Tulum, warned it was in danger of "imminent lockdown" due to a five-week-long increase in COVID cases there.

Source: USA Today