Mexican protesters have blocked Americans from crossing the southern border in an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Demonstrators blocked southbound lanes of the border crossing point of Nogales - which links Arizona with the Mexican state of Sonora - on Wednesday and vowed to return Thursday.

They are demanding that everyone crossing the border from the US side must have tested negative for coronavirus before being allowed in.

A Sonora, Mexico, demonstrator holds a sign warning travelers from the United States not to travel to Mexico over fears that any of them could possibly spread the coronavirus. Protesters spent several hours Wednesday on the Mexican side of the border blocking the southbound lanes, demanding testing for every person crossing over

Several demonstrators gathered Wednesday in the Mexican border city of Nogales and blocked traffic arriving from the United States, demanding that every traveler has to be tested for the coronavirus before being granted passage into the country

Mexican protesters blocked traffic at the Nogales border crossing between Arizona and the state of Sonora, expressing their concerns that Americans and others driving in from the United States could possible spread the deadly COVID-19

America now has the highest number of coronavirus cases anywhere in the world with more than 97,000 confirmed - compared to Mexico's reported 585.

China reported 81,000 cases during the outbreak there, but claims to have dropped the domestic infection rate to zero by imposing draconian lockdown measures of the kind being resisted by Washington.

Several dozen mask-wearing protesters used vehicles to block traffic, while waving banner that said 'stay at home', USA Today reported.

Jose Luis Hernandez, with the group Sonorans for Health and Life, warned that Wednesday's protest was the 'first warning' for Mexico's president to take the threat of coronavirus seriously.

Their demands mirror a set of restrictions that the U.S. government began enforcing at the border over the weekend.

Mexican authorities have faced criticism for their blase approach to the virus, with one governor even boasting that poor people are 'immune' to it.

Luis Miguel Barbosa claimed in an online broadcast that wealthy people have so-far been the main victims of the virus.

Activists said their protest was the 'first warning' to Mexico's government to take the threat of the virus seriously, and vowed to do it again (file image)

'If you're rich you're at risk, but if you're poor, no, well us poor, we are immune,' he said.

Meanwhile Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has claimed that the country will be spared by divine intervention while brandishing two amulets that he claimed would ward off the disease.

He has resisted calls to close bars and restaurants, urging people to go out while organizing rallies where he has kissed babies and shaken hands.

A protester carries a sign demanding Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador step up his efforts with stricter measures to combat the coronavirus, which has produced eight deaths and 585 positive cases

A group of residents from the state of Sonora demonstrated Wednesday, calling on the Mexican government to impose stricter coronavirus measures against Americans driving into the country from the United States

Meanwhile Canada slammed a U.S. proposal to deploy troops along their undefended border to help fight the spread of the coronavirus, saying the idea was unnecessary and would damage relations.

The uncompromising comments were a surprise, since Ottawa has enjoyed smooth relations with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration over the past 18 months. Last week, the two nations agreed to close the border to non-essential travel to ease the outbreak's strain on health systems.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday evening that Washington had dropped consideration of the plan, citing an unnamed U.S. official.