Canada & The US Are In 'Discussions' About Making Land Border Restrictions Tighter

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra has revealed that Canada-U.S. border restrictions could get even tighter in the coming months.

In an interview on As It Happens, per CBC News, Alghabra confirmed that officials are “very concerned” about new variants of COVID-19 and are considering “all options” when it comes to securing Canada's borders.

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We're examining all options. Omar Alghabra

In addition to a number of new restrictions announced last week, the minister explained that both Canada and the U.S. are looking to close loopholes that still allow non-essential travellers to cross the border. 

Acknowledging this issue, he said it was "currently being examined and discussed with our friends in the U.S.”

While Alghabra noted that the majority of people crossing the land border are essential workers, he confirmed: “We are in the middle of this discussion [about] adding potentially more measures there."

“I'm not able to prejudge the outcome of that discussion, but I can tell you that both our administration and their administration are taking the new health measures very seriously and we're examining all options,” he said.

The transport minister concluded by saying that other measures will “hopefully” be announced soon.

It comes just days after Justin Trudeau confirmed that anybody entering Canada via land borders would be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test.