Days after the announcement that neighboring Canada would close its border to the United States, President Donald Trump has ordered limited travel to America’s southern neighbor, Mexico
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday that all non-essential travel would be banned across the shared border between Mexico and the United States.
“Both our countries know the importance of working together to limit the spread of this virus,” Pompeo said Friday, adding that the efforts would still ensure commerce would continue to support “our economy to keep it flowing.”
This action will go into place Saturday, March 21.
There were reports Thursday that virtually all travel between the two countries would cease. On Friday, however, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced that the restrictions would apply crossing the border crossings for tourism or other recreational purposes. U.S.-Mexico border would be open for trade, work and medical trips would not be affected, according to The New York Times.
Ebrard said the measures by U.S. authorities would affect who was able to cross the border at ports of entry. He did not say whether additional measures were being taken to restrict illegal migration.
"Yes, in cases of tourism and recreation, essentially, it will be restricted," he said.
About 3 million personal vehicles cross the U.S-Mexico border legally each month, according to 2019 U.S. Department of Transportation data. Those trips were between San Diego, California, and the Mexican border city of Tijuana.
There are more than 160 confirmed cases of the virus in Mexico, compared with more than 14,000 in the United States.
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