The border between the United States and Canada has been closed to all nonessential travel, and the border between the US and Mexico is expected to be closed as well by perhaps as early as today, March 20, 2020. When the borders will reopen is unknown at this time. Only trade-related travelers will be able to cross the borders between the US and either of its neighbors. This means that all tourism and personal travel, including hunting travel, has been stopped on the northern border of the US and will likely end on the southern border very shortly.
As of March 18, 2020, the Government of Canada closed its borders to all foreign nationals, with certain exceptions. International passenger flights for travelers transiting Canada on the way to another destination will be redirected to one of four airports, and travelers will be subjected to health screenings. Canadian citizens returning home from abroad must self-isolate for 14 days upon entry.
To the south, Mexico has been criticized for being slow to implement protective measures against the spread of the Novel Corona virus, declining to close its borders or ban travel from countries affected by the illness. But yesterday, March 19, 2020, discussions took place between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Mexico’s Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard to close the border between the two countries to all but essential cross-border commerce and trade.
Hunters with booked sheep hunts to Mexico should immediately call their hunting operators to reschedule their hunts and those with spring hunts to Canada should discuss the possibility of rescheduling those hunts should the border closures continue.
SCI will continue to monitor the situation and report effects to hunting travel as they develop. Keep an eye on your email inbox. Also, click (https://safariclub.org/covid-19) here to access SCI’s Hunter Information Service detailing COVID-19 related restrictions that can impact global hunting activities. For additional assistance, contact SCI’s Hunter Hotline at [email protected], or 800-997-0179.
