Canada and U.S. Land Border Closure Extended for Non-essential Travel Another Month

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The land border closure on non-essential travel between Canada the United States and Mexico was extended once again this week until at least June 21, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Thursday.

"To fight #COVID19 spread and protect our citizens, the U.S. is continuing restrictions on non-essential travel at land borders through June 21, while allowing essential trade & travel," DHS tweeted. "We're working closely with Canada & Mexico to safely ease restrictions as conditions improve."

The closure, which has first implemented in March 2020 and has since been extended on a monthly basis, prohibits non-essential travel like tourism.

This week, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested at a press conference that the border between the northern country and the U.S would not be opened until 75% of its population has been vaccinated.

"We're all eager to get back to normal but we know that before we get back to normal, cases need to be under control, and over 75% of people need to be vaccinated for us to start loosening things in Canada," Trudeau said, according to Forbes. "We'll see what framework we apply to ensure we're keeping Canadians safe, even as we look to eventually changing the restrictions and the posture at the border.

At this point 48% of both Americans and Canadians have recieved their first dose of the vaccine, according to Reuters vaccine tracker. However, the infection rate of Americans is at 12% while the rate for Canadians is at 56%.

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Currently, anyone who does cross into Canada by land is required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test, get a second test upon arrival, and quarantine for 14 days before getting another test.

Those flying into the country are also required to test negative for the virus within three days of their flight, get tested upon arrival, and quarantine in a hotel for up to three days.

Beyond just crossing the border, Canada has extended its ban on cruise ships through at least February 2022, which has in turn hindered cruises in Alaska due to a more than 100-year-old law that requires large foreign-flagged ships to stop in Canada first before heading north to the state.

According to Reuters' tracker, 12% of Mexico's population has received their first vaccine dose. Most recently, the governor of Quintana Roo — home to Cancun and other vacation destinations — Carlos Manuel Joaquín González, said in an announcement this week that a lockdown is "imminent."

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.