Trump Administration Issues Border Restrictions, International Travel Advisory

Aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus, the Trump administration announced Friday changes to crossing the Canadian and Mexican borders.

“The Center for Disease Control and prevention has decided to give Customs and Border Protection the tools it needs to prevent the transmission of the virus coming through both the northern and southern border,” President Trump said.

These limits are aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus, and ports of entry like the International Bridge in Sault Ste Marie will see changes.

“We will implement new rules at our ports of entry to suspend nonessential travel, these new rules and procedures will not impede lawful trade and commerce,” President Trump said.

Travelers will no longer be able to cross the border for things like shopping, tourism or grabbing a bite to eat.

“They exclude traffic and movement across the border for work and other essential reasons,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

The Trump administration says essential travel includes those traveling to work, medical purposes, public health purposes or military related travel.

“The actions taken together with our North American partners will save countless lives,” President Trump said.

The State Department has also issued a level four travel advisory…

“This means that all international travel from US citizens should be avoided,” Sec. Pompeo said.

They are advising U.S. citizens abroad to return home. If you still decide to travel…

“If you choose to travel internationally, your travel plans may well be severely disrupted,” Sec. Pompeo said.

Sec. Pompeo says these changes will go into effect at midnight on Friday March 20, 2020.