Trudeau: “The curve is flattening in Canada”

In this morning’s press briefing, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke about positive signs that the COVID-19 curve is flattening, and pledged $2.2-billion in financial aid for municipalities in Canada by expediting the 2020-21 payments for the federal Gas Tax Fund.

“Over the last month, we’ve started to see promising signs that the curve is flattening in Canada,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. “Now the situation remains very serious, but the more we can control the spread of the virus, the more we can begin restarting. In many parts of the country this is already happening, and in others, where the situation remains more uncertain, steps are being taken more slowly. Every province and territory will have its own approach, but as we move forward with restarting the economy, we must keep working together. To keep Canadians safe, to give businesses the confidence to open their doors and people the confidence to walk through those doors, we need to cooperate on country-wide testing and contact tracing. And on this front we’re making good progress. At the same time our government is ready to be a partner for the provinces and territories in supporting vulnerable people, securing personal protective equipment and working on childcare, to name a few. The federal government is ready to be a partner in a safe and effective restart of the economy.”

“From testing clinics to programs for seniors, cities and towns provide essential services, so it’s crucial that they have the resources they need. In response to COVID-19, we will make available $2.2-billion for municipalities across Canada in the coming weeks through their yearly federal support with the Gas Tax Fund. Normally municipalities receive these payments in two installments, but we know that cities and towns need this money right away as they deal with COVID-19. That’s why we are making the full 2020/2021 payment available now. This is strong support to keep Canadians safe and our communities strong.”

Please visit our News section for more updates on COVID-19 / Coronavirus.

To read the latest issue of Cult MTL, click here.

For official info from the Government of Canada on COVID-19 / Coronavirus, click here.