September 24, 2020

Canada - U.S. border to remain closed to non-essential travel until October 21

Canada and the United States have announced that they are extending by another month the border restrictions put in place at the end of March.

Canadian and U.S. officials have mutually determined that non-essential travel between the United States and Canada still poses additional risk of transmission and spread of COVID-19 and places the population of both nations at increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Moreover, given the sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus, returning to previous levels of travel between the two nations would place the personnel staffing land ports of entry between the United States and Canada, as well as the individuals traveling through these ports of entry, at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19.

The ban on crossing the border for leisure and tourism is therefore maintained until October 21. The two countries agreed that certain essential travel could continue.

The measure still does not affect trade, and the transport of goods is allowed to cross the border to preserve the supply chains between the two countries.