Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S.-Canadian border will be temporarily closed to nonessential traffic.
“We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our northern border with Canada to nonessential traffic. Trade will not be affected. Details to follow!” the president wrote on Twitter this morning.
The announcement comes as travel across much of the country has been brought to a virtual standstill due to the novel coronavirus. Major events such as music festivals and sports games have been canceled or postponed, companies have instructed employees to work remotely when possible and several states have ordered bars and restaurants to be open only for delivery or takeout orders. Many retailers across the fashion and footwear industries have temporarily shuttered all of their U.S. and Canada-based units, among them Nordstrom, Nike and Neiman Marcus.
The novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, has infected over 205,000 people internationally, with more than 8,200 deaths recorded, according to Johns Hopkins data. In the U.S., over 6,500 cases have been confirmed, and the death toll climbed to above 100 Tuesday. Around 600 infections have been confirmed in Canada, with at least seven dead.
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As the coronavirus threatens to send the U.S. economy spiraling downward, news broke yesterday of a Trump-proposed $1 trillion stimulus package, which could put $1,000 into the hands of every American. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin pitched Senate Republicans yesterday on the initial $250 billion in checks, to be distributed as direct payments at the end of April. A second set of checks could raise the total to $500 billion four weeks later should the national emergency continue, according to multiple reports.
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