FILE PHOTO

By Alex McCuaig

UPDATE FROM THE PM

Trudeau announces aid to Indigenous communities, ban extended for cruise ships to November

May 29, 2020 | 9:10 AM

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau opened his Friday update outside of Rideau Cottage highlighting his first ministers’ meeting last night, the eleventh since the pandemic, and calling the Canadian Forces report into care homes they were called into take control of, “deeply concerning.”

Pressed by reporters on the state of long-term care facilities in Canada, Trudeau stated the jurisdiction for those facilities lies with the provinces. Though, he added, “we will be there to support the provinces,” to get control of their long-term care facilities.

That will include providing Canadian Forces support in the short term where needed and financial aid in the long term, he said.

But Friday’s national COVID-19 update focused primarily on announcing $650 million in financial assistance to First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities.

Those funds will largely go to supporting healthcare needs of those communities with $285 million going to that end, $230 million going towards income support and the remainder to support and build women’s shelters including those for northern settlements.

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Trudeau repeated an oft-mentioned comment that Canadians shouldn’t choice between staying home when sick and, “paying their bills.”

The prime minister also reiterated Transport Minister Marc Garneau’s earlier direction to close cruise ships in Canadian waters to at least Oct. 31.

Trudeau also to time at the end of his update to talk about the civil disorder taking place in many cities in the US.

“Racism is real,” said Trudeau. “We need as a society to stand together. . .We have work to do in Canada.”

As of Thursday morning, Canada is reporting 88,512 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 6,877 deaths with more than 1.5 million citizens tested across the country.

In Alberta, the latest statistics reflect nearly 7,000 confirmed cases, of which more than 6,100 have recovered. The province is currently reporting 50 hospitalizations, four of which are in intensive care, and 143 deaths due to COVID-19.