PM: Canada spending $850M to bolster efforts on COVID-19 vaccine, treatment

“Today 75 years later we remember their courage and their sacrifice,” he said, of those who served, adding that everyone can live up the example of the veterans in some way.

Staying home to protect health-care workers, delivering groceries to your neighbour or sending a postcard to a veteran are some of the ways you can do that, Trudeau said.

“With your actions, you are continuing to help your community and demonstrating that time and time again Canadians will continue to step up,” he said.

He also asked Canadians to pause for two minutes at 2 p.m. ET (noon MT) to honour our veterans.

The $850 million pledge by Canada is part of an effort organized by the European Union to fill the World Health Organization’s funding gaps.

The goal is to raise $11.5 billion for vaccine and treatment options for COVID-19 and make them available and affordable worldwide.

Trudeau called Canada’s contribution today “just the beginning.”

Asked about the firearms ban announced on Friday, Trudeau said stopping the use, sale and transfer of “assault-style” weapons it a significant step forward for the safety of the country. He also said more details need to be worked out, including how the buyback program and grandfathering will work.

On the Cargill meat plant in High River reopening today over the objections of workers, Trudeau said worker safety falls under the jurisdiction of the provinces, but that the federal government will be there to help and participate in protecting the safety of workers and the food supply chain.

On the possibility of a budget being released, the prime minister said the “tremendous uncertainty” all over the world makes such a thing difficult, but that the government is looking for ways to keep Canadians updated.

Several provinces on Monday began easing COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

In Alberta and Saskatchewan, those measures include allowing non-essential medical activities, such as dentistry and physiotherapy, to resume. Alberta also allowed golf courses to open over the weekend.

Manitoba’s museums, libraries and retail businesses including restaurant patios can reopen today, though at only half capacity.

Quebec, which accounts for more than half of Canada’s coronavirus cases, including deaths from the illness, is reopening retail stores outside Montreal while those in the greater Montreal area are to reopen on May 11.

Ontario, the other epicentre for the virus, is allowing a small list of mostly seasonal businesses to reopen, including garden centres with curbside pick-ups, lawn care and landscaping companies, and automatic car washes.

B.C. Premier John Horgan is promising relaunch details this week.

The Maritime provinces, where COVID-19 caseloads have been trending downward, began relaxing some restrictions over the past week, primarily in the areas of public health services and outdoor recreation.

As of Monday morning, Canada had 59,844 confirmed cases, zero probable cases and 3,766 deaths. There have been 919,368 Canadians tested.

In Alberta, there are 5,766 cases and 95 deaths. A total of 152,123 Albertans have been tested.

by Chris Brown with files from The Canadian Press

PM: Canada spending $850M to bolster efforts on COVID-19 vaccine, treatment

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