Travel restrictions between US and Mexico to combat coronavirus
President Trump enforced a new travel restriction on Friday for non-essential travel on the US-Mexico border in an efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus.
“It makes you realize how free we really were," said Kevin Massie.
Cathedral City resident, Kevin Massie said he’s making family adjustments after president Trump closed the U.S. Mexico border for nonessential travel.
"You start taking smaller things away and then it comes down to everything and how much freedom we really did have," said Massie.
Massie said other family members are stepping up to take care of his mother in law, who he visits 3 to 4 times a month but the biggest change he will face.
“New nieces and nephews are born and we won’t see them for quite a while. We won’t be able to watch them grow up but we have to do what to keep everyone safe," said Massie.
Mexico native, Jesus Rios said he agrees with president Trump’s decision.
"I think its a necessary evil that we all have to understand and just wait for it and its not going to be forever," said Rios.
Rios said he sees the challenges Mexico’s tourism will face from the closure.
“I am a cook so I don’t know what’s going on," said Rios. "So I do understand that people go to Mexico to have fun but its not time to have fun right now.”
According to U.S. Embassy in Mexico, in 2019, U.S. residents were Mexico’s top visitors by air totaling to 7.6 million.
"I have been customizing tours since 1976, I have never seen anything like this before," said Steve Kanold.
A.C.T. Tours owner, Steve Kanold, said he’s taking the hit on all the travel restrictions in place. He’s already given about 30 thousand dollars in refunds and had to cancel a trip to Mexico earlier this month.
"We could have gone but people were uneasy with it and when they are uneasy," said Kanold. "We're uneasy so we cancelled it and everyone got a full refund.”
Kanold said he hasn’t made any changes to the upcoming Mexico trip in May.
“This is a very fluid situation and everyday we have to adjust," said Kanold.
The restrictions will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and last at least 30 days.
