US extends border closures with Canada, Mexico through Sept 21

On Friday, the US government decided to extend the closure of its land borders with Mexico and Canada for another month, through Sept. 21.

The Canadian government has already opened up the border on its end as of Aug. 9, allowing fully vaccinated individuals to come in for non-essential travel. Both governments had previously and mutually instituted land border closures from March 2020 on.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement from its official Twitter account: "To minimize the spread of #COVID19, including the Delta variant, the United States is extending restrictions on non-essential travel at our land and ferry crossings with Canada and Mexico through September 21, while continuing to ensure the flow of essential trade and travel."

"In coordination with public health and medical experts, DHS continues working closely with its partners across the United States and internationally to determine how to safely and sustainably resume normal travel," Homeland Security stated.

This ban is running concurrent with other bans on travelers from various other countries. At the time of publication, the list includes all 26 of the Schengen countries, as well as the UK, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil.

The White House is also discussing implementing proof-of-vaccination requirements for individuals entering the US from other countries, possibly in tandem with future relaxing of these travel restrictions.