Closure of U.S. border to non-essential traffic from Mexico extended another month due to pandemic

The U.S. border will remain closed to non-essential traffic from Mexico until Feb. 21.

Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in social media channels that Mexico was the one that proposed the U.S. government to extend the border closure.

“Mexico proposed the U.S. an additional one-month extension to non-essential land traffic restrictions for their common border”, said the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Twitter, citing widespread COVID-19 propagation in several Mexican states.

The border will remain closed until 11:59 p.m., Feb. 21.

“Restrictions will remain under the same terms they have been since implementation on March 21, 2020,” the agency said.

The partial border closing began March 21, only days after Mexico and the U.S. declared an emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic.

For 11 months, the U.S.-Mexico land border has remained closed to people seeking to enter the U.S. with a tourist or border-crossing visa.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents face no restrictions to enter the country either on foot or by car.

Restrictions do not apply for people entering by plane, so tourist visas are accepted at U.S. airports.

Still, officials have insisted on limiting travel to only essential issues, avoiding entering for tourism, shopping or entertainment purposes.

For people crossing the border from the U.S. to Mexico there are no specific bans in place, except at some points of entry where Mexican authorities have implemented temporary safety protocols, such as barring more that two people from traveling in a single vehicle.