Civil unrest in U.S. could delay reopening of border,

Ottawa’s assessment grows beyond pandemic

OTTAWA— Civil unrest in the United States has become another factor for the federal government to take into account as it assesses when it will be safe to reopen the Canada-U.S. border.

Amid a once-in-a-century public health crisis, mass demonstrations threaten to fuel further spread of COVID-19 south of the border.

The protests — sparked by the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died in the custody of Minneapolis police — have continued despite curfews and the presence of armour-clad police.

They have involved thousands of people across the United States, many of whom have ignored public health guidelines about social distancing and wearing masks, which have been imposed as COVID-19 infections race across the country.

While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government are affirming citizens’ right to protest, the mass demonstrations — and the publichealth threats that they pose — have thrown into question how soon Canada might want to reopen traffic along its southern border in the midst of a worldwide pandemic that shows few signs of easing.

Laurie Trautman, the director of Western Washington University’s Border Policy Research Institute, said the political instability in the U.S. adds an “additional layer of concern” for Canadian authorities as they consider relaxing the ban on non-essential travel between the two countries.

“The border restrictions were put in place from a purely public health perspective … Does Canada sort of look at (the situation) and say, ‘We’re going to extend these border restrictions because things are becoming more unstable in the United States?’ ” Trautman asked.

A senior Liberal official, who spoke on the condition they not be named in order to discuss international relations, said the government will reassess the border restrictions this month.

Restrictions against non-essential travel are until June 21.