Canada-US border closed to non-essential travel until at least March 21

OTTAWA — The border between Canada and the United States will remain closed to non-essential travel for at least another month.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announced late Friday that the closure has been extended to March 21 — precisely one year after the world’s longest undefended border was first shut down to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Since then, the closure has been extended month by month.

With more contagious variants of the coronavirus spreading across the continent, Friday’s extension is unlikely to be the last.

Blair tweeted that the government will continue to base its decisions on the border “on the best public health advice to keep Canadians safe.”

The border has remained open for essential travel throughout the pandemic in a bid to avoid disrupting the flow of food, medical supplies and other crucial goods between the two countries.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19, 2021.

The Canadian Press