WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government has extended its ban on nonessential travel along the borders with Canada and Mexico to slow the spread of COVID-19 despite increasing pressure to lift the restriction and despite the fact that Canada opened its border to fully vaccinated Americans two weeks ago.
U.S. border communities that are dependent on shoppers from Mexico and Canada and their political representatives have urged the Biden administration to lift the ban, complaining that it is crippling business.
But the Department of Homeland Security said in a tweet Aug. 20 that the restrictions on nonessential travel were still needed to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant. It extended the ban until at least Sept. 21.
The department said it is working with public health and medical experts to determine how to “safely and sustainably resume normal travel.”
The travel restrictions have been in place since early in the pandemic in March 2020 and repeatedly extended while allowing commercial traffic and essential crossings to continue.
The ongoing U.S. land border restrictions do not bar U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents from returning to the United States from either Canada or Mexico.
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