WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday their countries would close their border to “non-essential traffic,” while New York City moved nearer to ordering residents to stay home as the United States struggled to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
With cases of the respiratory illness caused by the virus reported in all 50 states and the total number of known U.S. infections surging past 6,400, millions of Americans stayed at home instead of commuting to work or going to school. The U.S. death toll has topped 100. The two nations share one of the world’s largest bilateral trading relationships. The U.S. and Canadian economies are highly integrated and a strict ban on border crossing would cause major problems for the auto sector as well as the transportation of food and medicines.
Meanwhile, U.S. restaurants could take a $225 billion sales hit in the next three months as they shut down or curtail operations to help slow the fast-spreading outbreak, an industry trade group said. New York, Washington state and California have the most cases of the virus that has now hit all 50 states after West Virginia reported its first case this week.
Health officials voiced worry over reports that younger people across the country were defying official guidelines about staying home and avoiding large gatherings, increasing the risk of spreading the virus.
GigiMasria