Officials in the United States ordered the closure of several entry points with Mexico and added more secondary checks to curb non-essential travel between the countries.
According to Reuters.com, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said U.S. citizens and permanent residents were still able to enter America from Mexico, but the new coronavirus-related measures are aimed at slowing down the spread caused by those travelers.
CBP officers are working to reduce non-essential travel at more than a dozen border crossings in Texas, Arizona and California. The changes come as part of President Donald Trump’s updated emergency border rules, with the U.S leading the world in confirmed coronavirus deaths and Mexico ranked third.
“We need people to think twice about non-essential travel and to ask themselves if the travel is worth risking their lives and the lives of others,” El Paso CBP spokesman Roger Maier said in a statement.
Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department lifted its blanket Level 4 “Do Not Travel” Advisory on all international destinations and returned to country-specific guidance. Mexico was issued an individual Level 4 advisory, but it’s important to understand that each Mexican state earns its own separate status.
Mexico is still preparing to welcome more guests, though, as popular tourism destinations have announced plans to enforce restrictions when the country’s epidemiological light allows for the reopening of beaches.