Mexico may restrict border crossings due to growing U.S. cases of coronavirus

MEXICO CITY, Mexico -- Mexican health officials, worried about how the coronavirus could spread from the U.S. to Mexico, are considering border restrictions that could soon take effect.

The news agency Reuters said Mexican health officials fear their country, which has been relatively unaffected, could be exposed to infections coming from the U.S. side of the border.

As of Friday night, the U.S. had experienced over 2,000 cases and 50 deaths. By comparison, Mexico has had just a fraction of that - with just 15 cases and no deaths.

“If it were technically necessary to consider mechanisms of restriction or stronger surveillance we would have to take into account not that Mexico would bring the virus to the United States, rather that the United States could bring it here,” Mexican Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell was quoted as saying by Reuters.

He did not provide details of the border-crossing limits that are under consideration.

On the U.S. side, officials with Customs and Border Protection said that despite rumors to the contrary, ports of entry along the border remained open as usual Friday night with no immediate closure plans.