Canada Closes Borders to Non-Citizens with Some Exceptions for U.S. Citizens (For the Time Being)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today, Monday, March 16 that Canada will be closing its borders to all non-citizens due to the coronavirus pandemic. This ban will deny entry to Canada to people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The ban will also exempt some U.S. citizens for the time being, CNBC reports.

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Travelers arriving from foreign countries will have to self isolate for 14 days upon arrival. Anyone showing symptoms will not be allowed entry into Canada. Only four airports in Canada will accept international flights: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. Although Canada’s borders are now sealed, the ban will not affect the shipment of goods into the country, CNBC reports.

Prime Minister Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Gregoire, tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Trudeau has no symptoms, but has been in isolation since last week as a precautionary measure. At the time of this writing there have been nearly 340 reported cases of coronavirus in Canada, with one death related to the virus.