Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada and the U.S. have agreed to temporarily restrict all non-essential travel across the border.
Mr. Trudeau said travelers will no longer be permitted to cross the border for “recreation and tourism,” saying that in both countries, citizens are encouraged to stay home.
Mr. Trudeau said that essential travel will continue and the government recognizes that it is critical to maintain supply chains between both countries.
“These supply chains ensure that food, fuel, and life-saving medicines reach people on both sides of the border,” he said. “Supply chains including trucking will not be effected by this new measure. Canadians and Americans cross the border every day to do essential work or for other urgent reasons, that will not be impacted.”
U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted earlier Wednesday morning that Canada and the United States will be closing the border to non-essential traffic.
“We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic. Trade will not be affected. Details to follow!” Mr. Trump tweeted.
On Monday, Canada announced it was closing the border to non-citizens with the exception of permanent residents and Americans among a few other exemptions. At the time Mr. Trudeau said the exception for Americans was done because of the particular relationship Canada has with the U.S.
Government ministers have described the cross-border traffic between the two countries as a “lifeline.”
Mr. Trudeau did not specify when the new measures would come into force, but said it would happen “very soon.”
“We are working with the United States so those measures can come into effect very quickly and we’ll have more to say about that later,” he said.
The Canada Border Services Agency has “adequate resources” to ensure that non-essential travellers will not be able to cross the border, Mr. Trudeau added.
He said a lot of people will stay home and won’t try to cross the border if they’re told not to cross.
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