US closes Canadian border to non-essential traffic
The US-Canada border has closed to non-essential traffic, President Trump announced Wednesday morning, bringing ongoing coronavirus containment efforts to a new level.
“We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic,” the president tweeted. “Trade will not be affected. Details to follow!”
According to the Washington Post, the Department of Homeland Security is still working out the specifics of the closure, but is likely to make an announcement in the coming days. The policy would not apply to commercial goods or citizens and legal residents of the United States. It’s unclear how long the closure will remain in place.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday night that the Trump administration was considering some kind of comprehensive border closure, including new restrictions on migrants and asylum seekers on the US border with Mexico. President Trump has placed similar restrictions on visitors from China, Europe and the UK.
Public health officials have been broadly skeptical of the effectiveness of travel restrictions in containing the ongoing outbreak in the US. With more than 6,500 COVID-19 cases already confirmed in the US (and likely tens of thousands more still undetected), most experts see community transmission as a greater danger than transmission from foreign travelers. Nevertheless, those restrictions have been a centerpiece of the President’s strategy, beginning with the China travel ban announced in January.
The US-Canada border has closed to non-essential traffic, President Trump announced Wednesday morning, bringing ongoing coronavirus containment efforts to a new level. “We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic,” the president tweeted. “Trade will not be affected. Details to follow!” According…
