Mexican protesters have shut a US southern border crossing amid fears that untested American travellers will spread coronavirus.
Residents in Sonora, south of the US state of Arizona, have promised to block traffic into Mexico for a second day after closing a checkpoint for hours on Wednesday.
They wore face masks and held signs telling Americans to “stay at home”.
Mexico has fewer than 500 confirmed Covid-19 cases and the US over 65,000.
The border is supposed to be closed to all except “essential” business, but protesters said there has been little enforcement and no testing by authorities.
The blockade was led by members of the group Sonorans for Health and Life, who called for medical testing to be done on anyone who crosses from the US into Mexico.
Army vet lawmaker marks Abbey Gate anniversary with blistering message for Biden-Harris: ‘Abject failure’
SEE IT: LA Dem candidates torched by disgusted residents after ‘disgraceful’ debate: ‘Both bad’
Rutgers research dean accused of secretly recording ‘upskirt’ videos with cellphone, prosecutors say
Trump’s $100k Visa Application Fee Plan Is Back and This Time Dems Will Have a Harder Time Stopping It
Trump-Endorsed Mazzei Wins Tight GOP Gubernatorial Primary in Oklahoma
Montana man who killed 4 children, 4 other family members at Sunday dinner was asked to move out: relative
US kills 4 alleged drug smugglers on boat in Caribbean, bringing total to 227 in 68 strikes
California Dems trigger outrage after siding with convicted child sex offenders in shocking vote
Judge in Feeding Our Future case found Ilhan Omar’s relaxed provisions made food program ‘vulnerable to fraud’
Abdul el Sayed’s refusal to broaden appeal draws fears he could spoil Michigan for Democrats
Trump admin pauses visa appointments worldwide amid heightened screening for applicants
Prosecutor in infamous killer mom case says women on Lindsay Clancy jury may bring ‘strange twist’ to verdict
NYC manhunt underway for suspect accused of deadly shootings across 2 boroughs days apart
Trump-endorsed candidate clears key hurdle in red state gubernatorial race
Dolly Parton refused to pick political sides for decades: ‘I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer’
Jose Luis Hernandez, a group member, told the Arizona Republic: “There are no health screenings by the federal government to deal with this pandemic. That’s why we’re here in Nogales. We’ve taken this action to call on the Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to act now.”
The Mexican president has been criticised for his response to the pandemic, as has US President Donald Trump.
Mr Hernandez said the Wednesday demonstrations were a “first warning” to Mr Lopez Obrador, popularly known by his initials, Amlo.
The group has called for enforcement of the crossing ban on all US or Mexican citizens for tourism or medical reasons, including those who cross the border every day to attend school or work in the US.
Authorities must also conduct medical testing on Mexicans deported from the US, they said.
Army vet lawmaker marks Abbey Gate anniversary with blistering message for Biden-Harris: ‘Abject failure’
SEE IT: LA Dem candidates torched by disgusted residents after ‘disgraceful’ debate: ‘Both bad’
Rutgers research dean accused of secretly recording ‘upskirt’ videos with cellphone, prosecutors say
Trump’s $100k Visa Application Fee Plan Is Back and This Time Dems Will Have a Harder Time Stopping It
Trump-Endorsed Mazzei Wins Tight GOP Gubernatorial Primary in Oklahoma
Montana man who killed 4 children, 4 other family members at Sunday dinner was asked to move out: relative
US kills 4 alleged drug smugglers on boat in Caribbean, bringing total to 227 in 68 strikes
California Dems trigger outrage after siding with convicted child sex offenders in shocking vote
Judge in Feeding Our Future case found Ilhan Omar’s relaxed provisions made food program ‘vulnerable to fraud’
Abdul el Sayed’s refusal to broaden appeal draws fears he could spoil Michigan for Democrats
Trump admin pauses visa appointments worldwide amid heightened screening for applicants
Prosecutor in infamous killer mom case says women on Lindsay Clancy jury may bring ‘strange twist’ to verdict
NYC manhunt underway for suspect accused of deadly shootings across 2 boroughs days apart
Trump-endorsed candidate clears key hurdle in red state gubernatorial race
Dolly Parton refused to pick political sides for decades: ‘I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer’
The group have vowed to block the DeConcini checkpoint again after shutting it down on Wednesday afternoon.
President Trump has made cutting the number of people crossing the border from Mexico into the US a centrepiece of his administration. He blames border-crossers from the south for bringing economic and social problems into the US.
He announced last week that the frontier was to close due to coronavirus.
Story cited here.
