"Until the virus is significantly under more control everywhere around the world, we are not going to be releasing the restrictions at the borders," Trudeau told state broadcaster CBC.
Addressing the ongoing restrictions on non-essential travel between Canada and the United States, Trudeau said that the flow of goods between the two nations remains intact, but that the cap on exchange of travelers is crucial at this juncture.
The prime minister added that, despite the projected change in leadership in Washington and projected president-elect Joe Biden’s new approach to the pandemic, the US is a way's off from getting the pandemic under control.
The Canadian government on Sunday extended restrictions on non-essential visits of foreign travelers until January 21, citing the surging number of coronavirus cases in the country. Travel restrictions between Canada and the US remain in force until December 21.
All non-essential travel between the United States and Canada has been halted since March 20.
As of Tuesday, Canadian authorities have reported over 380,000 coronavirus cases and more than 12,100 virus-related deaths. There are over 66,037 active cases across Canada, according to the country’s public health agency.