WASHINGTON — The U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico land borders will both remain closed to non-essential travel until at least April 21, 2021.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday morning the extension of the ongoing coronavirus-related restrictions.
"Informed by science and public health guidance, we will work with our counterparts to identify an approach to easing restrictions when conditions permit and with the protection of our citizens from COVID-19 at the forefront of our minds," DHS tweeted.
Earlier in the week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shot down the idea that Canada would be reopening its border with the U.S. anytime soon.
"We're all eager to be able to travel again," Trudeau said, according to CTV News. "But I think we're all going to wait patiently until such time as the health situation allows us to loosen border restrictions internationally. That'll be eventually, but not for today."
Sunday, March 21 will mark a full year that the U.S.-Canada border has been closed, due to COVID-19.
For most people, COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
The United States has had more than 29 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 538,000 deaths, according to statistics from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there are more than 121 million confirmed cases with more than 2.6 million deaths.