Mexico City – The Ministry of Foreign Relations (SRE) announced on Tuesday that the governments of Mexico and the United States have agreed to extend the restrictions on non-essential land traffic on their common border until August 21, 2020, due to the continued spread of COVID-19 in both countries.
This is the fourth time border restrictions have been extended since the partial closure was first announced on March 21 as a measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The restrictions were extended in April, May and June.
The United States is currently the center of the coronavirus pandemic, while Mexico ranks seventh worldwide in number of cases.
After reviewing the development of the spread of COVID-19 in both countries, the restrictions on border crossings will be in force for another 30 days, Mexico’s secretary of foreign relations, Marcelo Ebrard, tweeted on Tuesday.
“The restrictions will remain under the same terms in which they have been developed since their implementation on March 21. Both countries will continue seeking to coordinate sanitary measures in the border region,” said the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
The existing partial border closure does not affect trade or essential travel, including health care and workers living and working on opposite sides of the border. “Non-essential travel” includes trips that are considered tourist or recreational in nature. So commercial traffic continues to flow between the two countries, but merchants in border cities who depend on tourism are hurting.
According to a July 13 report by Politico.com, “Privately, Mexican officials say the government has not pushed to loosen restrictions or reopen the border because of fears that the U.S. could send more cases to Mexico given the spikes in cases in border states like Arizona and Texas.”
Sources: Vallarta Independiente • Politico.com