Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that his country reached an agreement with the United States to extend the current border restrictions between the two countries by an additional 30 days.

The extension has been prompted by the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed over 156,000 people globally.

"This is an important decision and one that will keep people on both sides of the border safe," Trudeau said in his COVID-19 brief on Saturday.

"It's another example of the excellent collaboration between our two countries," he said.

The U.S. is the country worst affected by the pandemic, having recorded more than 706,000 cases and over 37,000 deaths.

Canada on the other hand has registered over 37,000 cases and fatalities exceeding 1,300.

Trudeau's announcement of the extension of the border closure comes following his remarks earlier this week that reopening the border would not be happening "anytime soon."

Source(s): CBC