A U.S. Border Patrol agent in West Enfield, Maine in 2018 | Scott Eisen/Getty Images Canada, US plan to close border to non-essential travel The agreement is not yet finalized.

OTTAWA — Canada and the U.S. are working together on an agreement to suspend non-essential travel between the two countries, a Canadian government official confirmed to POLITICO late Tuesday night, part of an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

CNN first reported late Tuesday that the two countries will issue a joint statement in the next 24 to 48 hours, but that the agreement is not yet finalized, as officials are working out what kinds of cross-border travel will still be allowed. The network reported that business and trade will continue between the two countries.

The news comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday announced Canada would close its borders to most foreign travelers, beginning Wednesday, but would exempt U.S. citizens for the time being. Trudeau said Canada’s close economic ties with its southern neighbor put the U.S. “in a separate category” from other countries.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has also stressed the importance of the Canada-U.S. border for both countries, pointing out that part of Canada’s food supply is trucked north from the U.S. “It is a unique relationship for Canada, and it’s important for us in handling our situation on the border to be sure that we act to get things right,” she told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday.

At the press conference, Health Minister Patty Hajdu listed a number of examples of non-essential travel that some Canadians who live near the border might take for granted, including picking up packages mailed to U.S. addresses and shopping in the U.S. for lower prices. The two countries share the longest non-militarized border in the world. According to the Canadian census, two thirds of of Canadians live within 62 miles (100 km) of the U.S. border.

Ottawa is urging Canadians abroad to return home while they still can, but Transport Minister Marc Garneau clarified on Tuesday that “all Canadians can come home,” including anyone driving back from the U.S.