Pointing at delta variant, DHS extends Canada and Mexico border closures at least a month

U.S. borders along Canada and Mexico will remain closed to all land and ferry crossings for at least another month, security officials announced Friday.

The Department of Homeland Security said the latest one-month extension was necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic as the U.S. has continues to see an increase in cases reported nationwide.

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"In coordination with public health and medical experts, DHS continues working closely with its partners across the United States and internationally to determine how to safely and sustainably resume normal travel," the department said on Twitter.

U.S. security officials first established the travel ban at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. Border closures have repeatedly been extended as the virus continues to infect millions worldwide.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a daily average of more than 133,000 new cases over the last week in the U.S.

The daily death toll has also once again risen to figures not seen since mid-March with over 1,000 COVID-related deaths reported Wednesday. 

The latest border closure extensions do not apply to U.S. citizens, who are permitted to travel internationally and re-enter the country. 

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While American’s are once again able to visit most countries in Europe, noncitizens traveling from European nations are largely barred from entry. 

Travelers from China, India, Iran and Brazil are also still prohibited from entering the U.S. 

The White House announced earlier this month that the administration was working on a strategy to allow foreign travelers into the U.S. so long as they were vaccinated.

"The interagency working groups are working to develop a plan for a consistent and safe international travel policy, in order to have a new system ready for when we can reopen travel. This includes a phased approach that over time will mean, with limited exceptions, that foreign nationals traveling to the United States … need to be fully vaccinated," a White House official said in a statement. 

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"Currently, the interagency working groups are developing a policy and planning process to be prepared for when the time is right to transition to this new system."

It remains unclear when the vaccination requirement will be implemented.