For several months, many U.S. and Canadian residents have been hopeful that the U.S. and Canadian governments would re-open the border, which has been closed since March 2020. The decision to re-open has been revisited monthly since June. Canada’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair announced in a tweet that the border would remain closed until October 21.
Split in road at USA and Canada border By FlagtailsPhotography, Adobe Stock
Both governments officially announced today (Friday, September 18) that the border would be closed for at least another month. Crossings of the border have been largely restricted to trade goods, essential workers, and citizens returning home since March, in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Garry Douglas, who leads the North Country Chamber of Commerce in Plattsburgh, New York told NBC-5 in Burlington (Vermont) that he had received word from Canadian officials on Wednesday that the border closure would be extended to October 21. The Chamber is displeased that the extension of the border closure still brings no plan for a future opening. The extension will not affect the flow of trade and commerce between the two countries or travel by essential cross-border workers, which are exempt from the closure.
Some news reports hint that the border will be closed to non-essential travel until the end of the year.
