US And Canada To Close Border For All Non-Essential Travel:Report

The United States and Canada are planning to close their mutual border for all "non-essential travel," CNN reported early Wednesday citing sources from the White House.

What Happened

The announcement could be made by Thursday, CNN noted, even as the authorities work on the terms of the agreement, including defining what non-essential travel would constitute.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and The Globe and Mail independently confirmed the CNN report.

According to the CNN sources, the border will likely remain open for the trade of goods but shut down for tourists, shoppers, and other casual visitors.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau on Monday announced that the country's borders would be closed for all nationalities except the U.S. Permanent Canadian citizens would also be allowed entry.

Why It Matters

At least 6,362 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in the U.S. at press time, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The cases are spread across all 50 states; 108 people have died from the virus in the country.

Canada has seen a relatively fewer number of cases at 596, including eight deaths. With the virus spreading fast across communities, there are concerns about cross-country spread of the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Trudeau's wife, Sophie Trudeau, also tested positive for COVID-19 last week, after her visit to the United Kingdom.