As the pandemic continues to sweep the U.S., Canadians are getting more concerned and even hostile about what American visitors crossing the border could be bringing with them, according to a BBC report published on Thursday. 

The Peach Arch, built directly on the border of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia, was initially closed on March 21 based on the agreement of both sides. But the closure has been extended for several times until August 21 as the cases continue to surge in the U.S.

Many of Canada's cases have come from those returning from the U.S., and there is a concern that Canadian President Justin Trudeau might reopen the border again amid pressure from Washington.

While the border closure has had significant economic and personal repercussions for millions of people that live along it or have loved ones on the other side, the vast majority of Canadians want it to stay shut.

A July poll by Ipsos Reid found that eight in 10 Canadians wanted the border to stay closed until at least the end of 2020.

The restriction "will ensure we continue to get essential goods and services back and forth across the border," Trudeau said.

However, people with American license plates have reported being harassed and having their vehicles vandalized.

Saunders, an immigration lawyer who has many clients who cross the border regularly in order to work, says many people are afraid.

"They're all scared of driving their cars in the lower mainland because of vandalism, dirty looks and just getting treated as some 'horrible American'," he told the BBC.

One of his clients, an architect who was allowed to practice in Canada during the shutdown, says he was told to "go back home" because of his car.

The tensions are so high that British Columbia Premier John Horgan suggested that Canadians with American license plates should take the bus or ride bikes instead.

In the Muskoka region of Ontario, where many people have summer homes, the hostility has garnered police attention.

Ontario Provincial Police says a Canadian in Huntsville filed a complaint after two men allegedly accosted him over his Florida license plate.

"Most recently this weekend, there was a gentleman up towards Huntsville getting gas in his vehicle, and two gentlemen approached him and said, 'You're American, go home.' And he said, 'I'm Canadian. I live here.' And they literally said, 'No, we don't believe you; show us your passport'," Phil Harding, the mayor of nearby Kuskoka Lakes, told CP24.

"It just becomes a little bit aggressive, and they fear for their lives a little bit."

Tightened border security has also led to some notable arrests.

In Grand Forks, British Columbia, Royal Canadian Mounted Police spent over two hours chasing a man, who allegedly had illegally crossed in a stolen vehicle on July 24, down a river. The "float chase" ended where the river narrowed, when police, with the help of bystanders, were able to wade into the river and escort him back to shore.

Charges are pending, but anyone caught breaking the border restrictions can be fined up to 750,000 Canadian dollars (about 566,000 U.S. dollars) and be sentenced to six months in jail, or a million Canadian dollars and three years if their actions "cause risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm."

On Wednesday, police warned Americans participating in an annual float down the St Claire River near the Michigan border that even accidentally crossing the border could also lead to a hefty fine.

Before coronavirus, around 300,000 people crossed the border every day, including Canadians who routinely made day trips to score a deal at U.S. outlet malls or petrol stations, and American tourists exploring the wonder of Niagara Falls.

Since March, non-commercial land border crossings to Canada have dropped by nearly 95 percent, according to the Canadian Border Services Agency.

(With input from agencies)