Traffic enters Canada at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Plaza.  (Photo by Adelle Loiselle)Traffic enters Canada at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Plaza. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle)
Windsor

Ford: border needs to stay closed another month, at least

If Premier Doug Ford has any say about it, Canada's border with the United States will remain closed at least until the end of August.

The agreement between the two countries to keep the border shut to all non-essential travel expires on July 21. So far, the federal government has managed to negotiate month-long extensions with officials in Washington since it first closed in March.

Still, the border weighs heavily on the premier's mind. He has been very vocal about his concerns, and as COVID-19 cases mount State-side, they have not abated.

"I talked to a really, really smart doctor the other day, and I said, 'Doc, when do you think the second wave is going to happen?' And his answer was, 'Doug, the second wave is going to happen when we open up our borders and let international travellers come in," said Ford.

According to John Hopkins University, the U.S. has a total caseload of over 2.8 million. There have been more than 534,460 deaths. Last week, new case numbers jumped by 40,000, even 50,000 in a single day.

By comparison, Canada has had over 105,000 cases since the start of the pandemic in mid-March, and daily case counts have been steadily falling.

Ford said he continues to push the federal government to tighten its borders, especially at airports, where travellers have arrived in the country without being tested or questioned. If Canada does open its border, screening could become even more critical.

"Just a sieve," said Ford, quick to add that his government has worked well with federal officials during the pandemic. "I mentioned to the federal government, that if you can't cover the borders properly and do proper screening, we will send our people to the borders, and we will screen every single person that comes through the border."

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