Canada-U.S. border closed to non-essential travel, but trucks kept rolling
In March 2020, Ottawa and Washington restricted discretionary crossings while exempting truck drivers from the new 14-day isolation rule.
On March 20, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a temporary agreement with the United States to restrict non-essential travel across the shared border in response to COVID-19. The measures took effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on March 21, 2020, initially for 30 days.
The restrictions covered optional or discretionary travel such as tourism and recreation. The federal government said supply chains, including trucking, would not be affected.
What it meant for drivers
- Isolation exemption: Canada asked all travellers entering the country to self-isolate for 14 days, but healthy workers in essential services were exempt. The government specifically named truck drivers, along with aircraft, train and marine crews.
- Health screening: Every traveller, including exempt essential workers, faced new health questions at the border. Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers were told to watch for visible signs of illness and refer anyone suspected of being sick for medical assessment.
- Self-monitoring: CBSA said workers exempt from mandatory isolation still had to monitor themselves and follow self-isolation practices when not on duty.
In a March 26, 2020, statement, CBSA president John Ossowski said borders remained open for commercial operations and the agency was fully prepared to process all commercial goods for entry.