from Hacker News

Canada, U.S. preparing to close border to non-essential travel

by skookum on 3/18/20, 3:46 AM with 37 comments

  • by CapricornNoble on 3/18/20, 3:25 PM

    As soon as this virus broke out in China, I immediately remembered comments on HN from ~6 months re: open borders and mass population migration. I argued that robust border controls would be useful for preventing disease transmission and was criticized as connecting totally undocumented migrants to disease was "vile rhetoric". After all, "no one was suggesting restricting tourism to prevent disease."

    Now here we are with a no-shit virus outbreak and neither the Canadians nor the Mexicans are interested in having Americans freely flowing across their border.[1]

    I'd want to laugh at how the real world tends to shred the fantastical political/social positions of so many people....if it weren't all so tragic. :(

    [1]https://news.trust.org/item/20200313151928-n3bce

  • by Barrin92 on 3/18/20, 6:10 AM

    with community spread being so prevalent, what is the logic behind border closings between two comparable countries? It's not like it matters any more if one sick person moves from Canada to the US or vice versa any more than any other movement.

  • by jchallis on 3/18/20, 6:31 AM

    Wishing good health to our Canadian brothers and sisters. We'll grab a beer when this is all over.

  • by tempestn on 3/18/20, 8:47 AM

    Kudos to both governments for the way this is being handled. A joint announcement with considerations for maintaining trade and facilitating necessary travel, while curtailing unnecessary travel to minimize transmission. Should be better both for compliance and for long-term goodwill than a unilateral measure by either side.

    Hopefully both sides can continue to employ significant social distancing while ramping up testing and other measures, so that outbreaks can be brought under control and this situation can be as temporary as is prudently possible.

  • by VWWHFSfQ on 3/18/20, 6:15 AM

    Nothing but love to the Canadians. USA's all-time best friend.

    It's time to close the border.

  • by nbrempel on 3/18/20, 3:18 PM

    This puts Point Roberts WA in a weird spot!