Canada-U.S. to extend border restrictions until Sept. 21

OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border will be extended another 30 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It means the two countries will continue their mutual ban on non-essential cross-border travel until at least Sept. 21.

In a tweet, Blair says officials will keep doing what’s necessary to keep communities safe.

A formal announcement of the extension was expected to come later.

The Canada-U.S. border has been closed to so-called “discretionary” travel like vacations and shopping trips since the pandemic took hold of the continent in mid-March.

The United States has been grappling with fresh COVID-19 outbreaks across the country in recent weeks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2020.

The Canadian Press