After announcing the border between Canada and the U.S. will close, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed it will close as of Friday at midnight.
Trudeau made the latest announcement Friday morning.
[Updated: March 20, 2020]
In an effort to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada and the U.S. are closing its borders.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement, Wednesday morning. He explained the border will close for any non-essential travel.
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But “essential travel will continue,” to maintain critical supply chains between the U.S. and Canada, Trudeau explained.
“Canadians and Americans cross the border every day to do essential work or for other urgent reasons — that will not be impacted,” he said.
That means trucking that allows food, fuel and life-saving medicines can move between the two countries. And those who travel for essential work will not face an impact by the closure, either.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2020
Trudeau had previously stated the border will close to international travellers, with some exceptions. That included U.S. citizens, along with air crews, diplomats or immediate family members of Canadian citizens.
More than 400,000 people cross the border everyday, while $2.6 billion worth of goods cross each day. The Prime Minister has not given a specific date as to when the border will officially close or for how long.
As the pandemic continues, Canada is facing more than 500 cases of COVID-19, while B.C. announced 83 new cases Tuesday – bringing the total to 186.
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