COVID-19 situation in the U.S. 'scary' and 'dangerous,' Canadian long-haul truckers warn

[Nevilledog]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/truck-drivers-say-keep-border-closed-to-non-essential-travel-1.5648051

Some Ontario truck drivers are speaking out about what they've been witnessing on their trips to the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic — and they're warning the Canadian government to keep the border closed to non-essential visitors.

"They're travelling down there. They don't wear masks," said Leanne Steeves, a long-haul truck driver from Barrie, Ont., referring to the attitude of many Americans to the pandemic.

"It's like they don't care. Life is normal. Nothing's changed for them."

On Tuesday, CBC News confirmed the Canada-U.S. border closure for non-essential travel will be extended for another 30 days into late August. The agreement, which has to be reviewed each month, was set to expire on July 21. The decision comes as novel coronavirus cases and hospitalizations spike in several large U. S. states with little sign of a coordinated response from President Donald Trump's administration.

By contrast, Canada has largely succeeded in limiting the spread of the virus in the last several weeks, with daily case counts, hospitalizations and deaths mostly on the decline. That's why Steeves would like the federal government to take it even further and keep the border closed until the new year.

*snip*

[Newest Reality]

1. Ah,

They may be the ones that need a wall. We are going to be doing a Germ Fest USA for a long time.

[Mike 03]

2. Unsurprised. Not long ago I was listening to the Road Dog Trucking channel on SiriusXM

and they are still--five months into this nightmare--explaining to truck drivers how to properly wash their hands and to mentally sing two verses of "Happy Birthday". It's that level of understanding. No mention of masks at that time I was listening. (But I'm not a regular listener).

[Nevilledog]

3. It really feels like we're a third-world country.

And the rest of the world thinks we're a bunch of simpletons. It's not a good feeling.

[kimbutgar]

4. You can't even find movers now to move a person to Canada

There is a massive backlog. We had to put someone’s stuff in storage and couldn’t ship a man’s stuff to his family in Ontario.

[Docreed2003]

5. They have a spot on assessment

It truly is, at least for many in our area, like nothing happened and nothing has changed. Unsurprisingly, we're seeing a spike in cases.

[roamer65]

6. Warning to Canada.

Tighten the border even more or you will be in our situation soon.

[Johnny2X2X]

7. Remember, it is 1 person here who caused the anti mask wearing

Trump. He fought masks, turned it into a political issue, and then the coup de gras was saying that people who wear masks are showing their disapproval of him. He made this, he alone. If Trump would have been all for mask wearing and pushed it from the start, we'd be almost fully over this by now. We'd be like most of Europe.