US extends coronavirus closures of borders with Mexico, Canada

Extension until at least August 21 comes days after Canada said it will ease restrictions for US travelers next month.

The United States’ land borders with Mexico and Canada will remain closed to non-essential travel for another month, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced, just days after Canada signalled plans to ease restrictions on travel from the US. The restrictions into the US by land or ferry will remain in place until at least August 21, the DHS said on Wednesday. The US restricted non-essential travel into the country in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic – which has killed more than 609,000 people in the US according to Johns Hopkins University data – and has extended the closure at its borders with Mexico and Canada on a monthly basis since.