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.
Watch: Startling Megyn Kelly Comments – Is She Getting Friendly With Islam Too?
Ex-Reality TV Star Exposes LA Mayor Over Wildfire Disaster to Her Face Mid-Debate
US intel community agreed before war ‘Iran wasn’t developing a nuclear weapon’: ex-counterterrorism chief
California county finds nearly 600 unopened ballots months after Newsom-backed redistricting measure passed
Trump motorcade drives across Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to inspect renovation efforts
Trump praises Susie Wiles’ cancer fight in surprise gala video: ‘Winning it decisively’
Trump takes motorcade into Reflecting Pool, blasts past ‘$38M disaster’ fix under Obama
Man indicted for allegedly posting gruesome death threats against Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi on social media
Paralyzed subway victim confronts attacker, calls his actions ‘evil’ at sentencing
EMT Students Snap Into Action When They Realize Instructor Isn’t Acting During Training Exercise: ‘OK, This Is Real’
State Department set to revoke passports of thousands of parents with unpaid child support debt
Prominent Democratic Mayor Announces Unexpected Resignation 6 Months After Re-Election
Child sex predators among 3 fugitives nabbed at Texas border in 24-hour CBP sweep
Watch: Dem State Rep Freaks Out So Badly During Redistricting Debate That He Makes Physical Contact with Cops
Southern Poverty Law Center pleads not guilty as CEO vows to fight fraud case
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.
Watch: Startling Megyn Kelly Comments – Is She Getting Friendly With Islam Too?
Ex-Reality TV Star Exposes LA Mayor Over Wildfire Disaster to Her Face Mid-Debate
US intel community agreed before war ‘Iran wasn’t developing a nuclear weapon’: ex-counterterrorism chief
California county finds nearly 600 unopened ballots months after Newsom-backed redistricting measure passed
Trump motorcade drives across Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to inspect renovation efforts
Trump praises Susie Wiles’ cancer fight in surprise gala video: ‘Winning it decisively’
Trump takes motorcade into Reflecting Pool, blasts past ‘$38M disaster’ fix under Obama
Man indicted for allegedly posting gruesome death threats against Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi on social media
Paralyzed subway victim confronts attacker, calls his actions ‘evil’ at sentencing
EMT Students Snap Into Action When They Realize Instructor Isn’t Acting During Training Exercise: ‘OK, This Is Real’
State Department set to revoke passports of thousands of parents with unpaid child support debt
Prominent Democratic Mayor Announces Unexpected Resignation 6 Months After Re-Election
Child sex predators among 3 fugitives nabbed at Texas border in 24-hour CBP sweep
Watch: Dem State Rep Freaks Out So Badly During Redistricting Debate That He Makes Physical Contact with Cops
Southern Poverty Law Center pleads not guilty as CEO vows to fight fraud case
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.
