As the coronavirus continues to spread, bans on non-essential travel across international borders between U.S. and Canada and the U.S. and Mexico will be prolonged for yet another month, in particular within the United States. The statistics of the virus are not hopeful.
The restrictions were first executed in March and then have been repeated each month. The final date to putting down all the restrictions was set for September 21. But then, it turned out that leisure traveling needs to wait till October 21 and this is at the best optimistic guess.
“Canada and the United States have agreed to extend the temporary restriction of all non-essential travels,” said Bill Blair, Canadian Minister of Public Safety in his statement.
Similarly, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Relations revealed that today the U.S.’ southern neighbor has requested a postponement of the current travel ban for another 30 days. “After studying the expansion of the spread of COVID-19, Mexico proposed to the United States the extension, for one more month, of the restrictions on non-essential land transit on their common border,” the SRE disclosed. “The terms of these restrictions will remain the same as they have been developed since their application, on March 21.”
As it was before, the restrictions do not include trade routes or supply lines, therefore, commerce goes on as usual between the North American nations. Other reasons for crossing the border that is considered essential services, such as labor and healthcare considerations, may qualify for an exemption.
In addition to that, CBP will no longer keep illegal immigrants in holding facilities and tends to directly return them to the country they came from (Canada or Mexico). And where such a return could not be possible, CBP will return them to their country of origin.