The Canada-U.S. border not expected to reopen for at least another month
The border between Canada and the United States is expected to remain closed to all non-essential travel until at least June 21, according to The Globe and Mail.
Sources "with knowledge of the bilateral talks" told the Globe that the two countries are currently discussing extending the border closure for at least another month.
Last month the deadline was extended after some initial pushback from U.S. President Donald Trump.
With the May 21 deadline looming, several provinces, most notably Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, raised concerns about reopening the border at this time.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau touched on the subject yesterday during his daily address.
"We're going to be very, very careful about reopening any international travel, including in the United States, before we feel that it is time," he said, and noted that "stronger measures" will need to be established to prevent virus transmission from outside of Canada.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland also spoke about the situation on Monday during a press conference. She acknowledged that as parts of Canada begin to reopen, "we will see more travel across the border."
"We'll see more Canadians choosing to go back and forth, and we'll see more business activity, which will mean more essential travel."
The Globe's sources say that the U.S. is likely to agree to the 30-day rollover, but "the hard debate will come next month when there will likely be different views on when to begin to lift the restrictions."
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