The border between the United States and Canada will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Mar. 21, exactly one year after the border was first shut down to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Non-essential travel restrictions with the United States have been extended until March 21st, 2021. We will continue to base our decisions on the best public health advice available to keep Canadians safe from #COVID19.

— Bill Blair (@BillBlair) February 19, 2021

The extended closure was announced by Public Safety Minister Bill Blair late on Friday. Blair tweeted that the government will continue to base its decisions on the border “on the best public health advice to keep Canadians safe.”

There is a strong feeling the border closure will remain in place beyond Mar. 21 as both Canada and the U.S. deal with more contagious variants of the illness.

The border remains open to essential travel to avoid disrupting medical supplies, the flow of food and other crucial goods between the two countries.