WASHINGTON – The U.S.-Canadian border will remain shut to nonessential travel through June 21, and there won't be any new exemptions in that time for people who want to visit loved ones or their property across the border.
The U.S. and Canadian governments announced the latest extension – which pushes the shutdown into its second summer – on Twitter Thursday morning.
"To fight #COVID19 spread and protect our citizens, the U.S. is continuing restrictions on nonessential travel at land borders through June 21, while allowing essential trade & travel," the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a tweet. "We're working closely with Canada & Mexico to safely ease restrictions as conditions improve."
Meanwhile, Bill Blair, Canada's minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, tweeted: "We are extending travel restrictions on nonessential international travel and with the United States until June 21st, 2021. We will continue to base our decisions on the best public health advice available to keep Canadians safe from #COVID19."
Sources told The Buffalo News on Tuesday that the pandemic-related border shutdown, which has been extended on a monthly basis since March 21, 2020, would continue through June 21. Those sources also said the two nations were considering adding exemptions to make it easier for people to visit loved ones or the properties they own.
But those exemptions never materialized, and Rep. Brian Higgins – a Buffalo Democrat who's been leading the fight to reopen the border – isn't happy about it.
“It is truly unacceptable at this point to have another 30-day extension with no further exceptions for those vaccinated, no goals or targets outlined to expand crossings, no reciprocal allowances for family reunification, and no plan,” Higgins said. “We have made great strides in fighting the pandemic and we need to make progress on reopening the border. That is essential to both families that have been separated for way too long and to our binational economies.”
