Tourism and cross-border visits remain prohibited, although trade and commerce are exempted as are certain family members and loved ones who can make a case on compassionate grounds to be allowed into Canada. Blair confirmed this latest extension on Twitter, according to Reuters.
The Canada-US border has been closed to all non-essential travel between the two countries since March, and the border closure has been extended several times over the course of the pandemic. This latest extension of the closure comes about as coronavirus cases surge in Canada and the United States.
As of Monday, Canada is reporting 200,804 total coronavirus cases, with 9,816 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Tracker. the United States, continues to lead the world with 8,156,970 cases and 219,581 deaths.
Quebec on Sunday recorded 1,827 new cases, the third day in a row the province has had more than 1,000 infections. Quebec has now recorded a total of 198,151 infections, according to CTV News Canada.
Today’s #COVID19 #Epidemiology in Canada Daily Update: pic.twitter.com/FmJcKgqRJS
— Dr. Theresa Tam (@CPHO_Canada) October 19, 2020
The province’s Health Minister, Christian Dube tweeted that the number of hospitalizations in the province continues to rise and urged residents to “break the wave to slow this down” and “protect the most vulnerable.”
“Our challenge now and going forward is to remain united in our efforts to get all of Canada back on a ‘slow burn,”‘ Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said Sunday in a statement.
“Our goal is to reduce cases of COVID-19 infection to manageable levels. But public health cannot do this alone. Everyone is needed on the front-lines, from essential workers to volunteers to businesses, workplaces, and everyday citizens across Canada.”
Tam again urged Canadians to go the “extra mile” by downloading the COVID Alert contact tracing app, or by sharing “credible information” on social media.
In the United States – in the past week alone – 13 states, including Alaska, Minnesota, Montana and North Dakota, which border Canada – topped their own records for new cases, reports USA Today. They note that while the COVID-19 infection rate is far lower than that of the U.S., Canada has not been immune from a second wave of coronavirus cases.
