THANK YOU, PRIME MINISTER. WE’LL NOW GO TO THE PHONE FOR QUESTIONS. ONE QUESTION AND ONE FOLLOW-UP. OPERATOR? OPERATOR:

Thank you. Merci.

Interpreter:

I’d like to hear you comment on the discussions with Quebec with respect to the intervention of the Canadian armed forces in long-term care facilities. We’re told that people from the medical division may not be enough so are the troops or is the c. a.f. Ready to intervene? those discussions continue with Quebec and the other provinces to see how we can help even more. We have developed a portal where people of experience – with medical experience or special experience can provide their help and we shared that portal with all the provinces. We continued to work directly with Quebec on their requests for more resources and we will continue to work with Quebec on that. a follow-up?

Reporter:

Interpreter:

Yes, you’re not really answering the question. I understand you’re work on this, but are there discussions? Quebec said yesterday we need people on the ground now. Why nothing being done right now and other than medical personnel, can you send in military personnel to serve meals, pick up garbage? what exactly can you do immediately?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

Interpreter:

Well, immediately, right now, we are working with Quebec as to how we can help. We know that there are needs out there in Quebec and right across the country. and that is why we’re working with the provinces to provide them, wherever possible, the resources that they require. We are there to be their partners. We are there to pursue these discussions and bring in help as quickly as possible if it is necessary.

OPERATOR? OPERATOR:

Thank you. Merci.

Reporter:

Interpreter:

Good morning, Mr. Trudeau. I’d like you to comment on the decision by the United States to freeze its funding for the world health organization. My priority and the priority of our government right now is to do everything twoek protect – we can to protect Canadians and ensure the health and safety of people across the country and that means working with experts here in Canada and around the world and we will continue to do that important work for Canadians.

Prime Minister Trudeau’s one of the things that is so important for Canada to do is to continue to work with local experts and international experts to do everything we can to night virus and keep Canadians safe and protected. That is what we’ll continue to do.

Reporter:

Interpreter:

That’s fine. But are you not concerned that this will have consequences for the global fight against COVID-19? well, tomorrow I will have an opportunity to speak to other g-7 leaders to talk about how we can properly continue to work together. To fight COVID-19. and, of course, coordinate our approach based on science and evidence and working with experts around the world.

Thank you. Merci.

Reporter:

Hi, Prime Minister. Obviously I’ve been asking you for about a month now about Canada’s prisons. You promised repeatedly that new measures would be coming and that the Minister of public safety would be announcing new cooperation with the parole board. We still haven’t seen any of that. is this just not a priority? is nothing coming? is there going to be a decision about being released on day passes? is there any announcement coming?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

We have made significant efforts and taken significant steps to ensure that our incarcerated population is kept as safe as possible from COVID-19. There are a number of measures that we’ve taken. We continue to look at more measures, we’re coordinating with the province on these efforts as well. We know that this is a scenario where we’ve seen challenges in terms of outbreaks, but we also are continuing to step up our efforts every day to ensure that all Canadians are protected.

Reporter:

So you say you ear sting up your efforts. The directive from the commissioner last week said that corrections officers should wear face masks. That corrections Canada has previously said they’re providing soap and hand sanitizer. By all accounts, those things aren’t happening. So if the work you’re doing isn’t happening, do you need to change tacks. and finally, have you totally abandoned the idea of releasing federal inmates?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

There have been a number of discussions at the highest levels about various processes that need to be put in place. There have been reductions in transfers and, you know, issues that have put potentially people who work there and people who are incarcerated there more at risk. We have taken a number of measures. We will continue to look at taking more measures and we will ensure that the measures in place are properly followed. Ok.

Interpreter:

We recognized that it’s important to ensure that we protect people who work in our federal institutions as well as inmates. and that is why we have taken specific measures and we are continuing to monitor the situation to see that they’re followed. Of course, we will seek other ways to ensure the protection of those people.

MERCI. ONE MORE QUESTION ON THE PHONE. OPERATOR? OPERATOR:

Thank you. Merci. Next question, Canadian press, please go ahead.

Reporter:

Good morning, Prime Minister. Social distancing advice differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, from Vancouver closing Stanley park to cars and people walking around it to ottawa’s local experts telling people to basically not chat on their driveway with neighbors. In light of this, how do you sustain public confidence in social distancing measures?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

I think we’ve been very, very clear that the best way to prevent further spread of COVID-19 is to stay home as much as possible. If you have to go out, go out infrequently and keep two meter’s distance from each other and wash your hands aggressively and often. These are the things we’re asking all Canadians to do. Across the country, we recognize that different communities are in different situations, that there are different local health experts giving advice that is suitable to that particular context. We make sure that everyone is getting the message that we all have to do our part to fight COVID-19 and that means engaging in social distancing. But it is perfectly normal that there be slight variances in approaches in a pandemic that is manifesting itself in very different ways in different parts of the country.

Interpreter:

We have been saying how important it is to take actions in order to protect yourself and to ensure that COVID-19 will not spread further. That means staying home as much as possible, not going out unless it’s absolutely necessary and also keeping a two-meter distance from others if you must. and regularly and aggressively washing your hands. Of course, in various regions of the country, there are different situations as regards to pandemics. So, there are variations and expert recommendations. But the major recommendation remains. We must do everything we can to keep practicing physical distancing and prevent further spread of COVID-19.

Reporter:

On the world health organization, how much total financial support is Canada now providing to the organization? and has the United States president ever put any pressure on Canada to either boost or, of late, reduce its support for the organization?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

Canada’s support for the world health organization is in the tens of millions of dollars. I think we can make sure that someone has the exact numbers for you or for the media. and, no, the president has made any direct or indirect asks of Canada around that.

FranÇois?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

Ok.

Interpreter:

I believe our support for the W.H.O. is in the order of $10 million per year. I know we recently increased our contribution as a result of the pandemic. But I will be sure that you have a specific answer to that in the coming hours. and, no, the president has not asked Canada to do anything with respect to funding for the W.H.O.

Reporter:

Glen mcgregor, CTV news. You’ve repeatedly said how much Canada has relied on the W.H.O. For what’s. Haing around the world. Are you satisfied the organization sufficiently interrogated the information coming out of china in the early days of the pan democrat – pandemic? a lot of the information was false or misleading, especially human-to-human transmission. Do you think they did a good job on how they handled that information and shared wit other countries?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

I think what we need to remember is the path through this pandemic is for us to base ourselves on science, on the recommendations of experts, on data and the knowledge that we’ve gathered from past pandemics and past health issues to apply to these situations. and that is why we will always continue to work with experts, both domestically and internationally, to take the best advice possible in keeping Canadians safe. Of course, in the coming months and years, there will be many reflections on various institutions and systems both domestically and internationally on how we can improve our response and how we can learn from things we could have done better in this process. These are things that will come in the coming times. Right now our focus needs to be on doing the best we can right now to protect Canadians.

We are hearing about potential shortages of medication used for pain killing and sedation before patients are intimated and put on ventilators. What is happening at the federal level to ensure that there is a continued supply of those medications?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

Public health Canada and procurement Canada are working together to ensure the steady supply of essential medications to Canada, both related to COVID-19 and not. We recognize that this is a global health crisis. So, there are challenges, but Canada has a very strong pharmaceutical industry. We have very strong relationships around the world. On getting medication and necessary supplies. We will continue to do everything we can to ensure that Canadians get what they need. Ok.

Interpreter:

Our teams and our departments are working with the provinces and our partners around the world to ensure that there will be the proper availability of medications and essential goods and we will always do whatever we need to do to ensure that Canadians have the products and medications they need. We know that we’re in a global crisis at this time. But Canada will always have the equipment it needs for Canadians.

Reporter:

Tom Perry with CBC news. The conservatives and others have raised concerns that the W.H.O. Was too willing to take the word of the chinese regime early on in the pandemic. Do you share those concerns?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

I think there is obviously reflections that we have to have going forward and we have to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to keep Canadians safe. and that is our focus right now. What can we do now? what do we need to do in the coming weeks? how do we lean on experts in international institutions and in partner countries around the world. We’re making recommendations alongside our domestic experts on what we need to do now. There will be plenty of time as we move forward to reflect on challenges that were faced in the past. We need to learn and move forward as quickly as we can.

Reporter:

You said yesterday that you’re talking to the provinces and territories about eventually re-opening the economy. Can you say what work specifically you’re doing with the provinces and territoris to do this? and you also said there are different points along the spectrum of the pandemic. Do you see when things do start returning to normal, is that on a provincial level, local level, national level? how is it going to work?

Prime Minister Trudeau’s we recognize that this pandemic is going through very different phases and different points across the country. One-size-fits-all will not work for our country as diverse as Canada. But the overarching principles are extremely important. We know, regardless of where you are in the country, we need to get through this first wave before we can start releasing some of the rules around social distancing and staying at home. How that release works will vary from region to region, from industry to industry and coordination at the federal level and how we do that is going to be very important. But with spring coming, people are looking outside and wanting to get out, wanting this to be over. I understand that. It will be weeks more before we can seriously consider loosening the restrictions. It would be terrible if we were to release restrictions too early and find out that we’re suddenly back in another big wave of COVID-19. and have – and everything we’ve gone through up to now would have been for nothing because we’ll find ourselves once again in the same situation. If we hold on through this period now, as long as we have to, once we are able to release things, we will be able to better control how things move forward. But as imparent – impatient as people are getting across the country, we need to continue to hold on. If what we’re doing now as sacrifices are going to be worth it.

Interpreter:

I recognize that people want to know when this is going to be over. and when we can relax the rules on social distancing and kick start our economy again. The reality is that if we start to relax those restrictions too quickly, we may very soon find ourselves in the same situation as now or even worse with a new wave coming almost immediately. and in that case, everything we will have done and what we’re doing now will have been for naught. Now people are making sacrifices right now. They’re going through very difficult times. and we’re going to have to don’t do that for a number of weeks yet. In order to be ready to properly manage and be vigilant as we gradually come out of this. Yes, we’ll have to coordinate that with the provinces, but we will especially have to remain in this phase for a while yet. To ensure that when we can relax the restrictions, we will not end up in the same situation a few months later.

Reporter:

I know you’ve spoken about a coordinated effort and more patience is needed in terms of re-opening the economy. But just a follow-up on that. I’m wondering whether you envision, when that happens, that workers will be tested before they have returned to work.

Prime Minister Trudeau:

Obviously when we are able to loosen the controls on social distancing and start to re-open our economy, massive, rapid testing on a very wide scale basis will be an essential part of the vigilance we have to have. There will also be a need for very aggressive contact tracing whenever there is a case that appears. We have to be extremely quick about responding to any future outbreaks in future waves. But in order to get to that point, we need to continue doing what we are doing now. For many more weeks. We cannot be in a rush to get things going again because f we move too quickly to loosen all of controls, everything we’re doing now might have been for nothing. We’ll find ourselfs in another peak just as bad as this one or worse. and it will be extremely damaging, both to how Canadians feel, but also to our economy. That is why we are going to be extremely careful about any steps towards re-opening the economy. It seems like over the past days, people are talk – oh, we’ll re-open this, do that, re-open that. It’s not happening yet. If we re-open too soon, everything we’re doing right now might be for nothing. We are making sacrifices. We’re there for each other. We need to hold on. Still. and then, once we’re ready, once the pertss are telling us that we can talk about re-opening the economy a little bit we will take careful steps and do that.

Interpreter:

I realize for a number of days people have been talk about re-opening the economy again and getting back to work and being able to go outside. and obviously with spring here, people are anxious to do that. But I have to tell you, we’re not at that stage yet. We’re far from that stage. If we re-open things too quickly, we could very easily find ourselves in an even worse situation than right now. and all we will have done and everything we’ve been doing for the last few weeks will have been for nothing and we have to start all over again. We do not want that to happen. So please be patient. Please continue to show the kind of discipline we’ve seen in new Canadians. Let’s continue to protect our health care workers and do everything we can to protect our seniors. and we will get through this. But we have to stay the course.

Prime Minister, as we see the horrific stories unfold each day across the country, with regards to long-term care facilities, people getting sick, people being abandoned, many dying, if your mom was in one of these facilities, what would you do?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

I can’t imagine what so many Canadians are going through right now. With loved ones who are suffering. People they can’t even visit right now. Seniors worried about falling ill and not being able to see their kids and grand kids again. These are the things that we need to focus on as a country. That is what I will be speaking with premiers about tomorrow night. How the federal government can support the premiers and their responsibility and their jurisdiction over long-term care facilities and senior care. To make sure that we are supporting the heroes who are working in extraordinarily difficult situations for very low pay, to continue that work safely and mostly to keep our elders safe. This is a situation where, as a society, as a country, we need to pull together, to be there for our elders who built this country. That is what we’re going to focus on in the coming days.

Interpreter:

We recognize that it’s absolutely essential to be there for our seniors and to be there as well for people who are receiving only very modest salaries in order to help our seniors. We must continue to be there for them and that is what I will be addressing with the premiers tomorrow to see how we can support the people working with our seniors and a elderly and also ensure that they remain healthy and safe. They are going through very difficult times. They are anxious, they’re afraid and they are uncertain as to whether they’re going to be able to see their children or grandchildren. and as a society, we have to do better for them. Radio-Canada. Now with respect to the long-term care facilities, the army could possibly help out. Now do you want to send in only medical personnel or are you thinking about sending in other people who are now part of the c. a.f. To help out the personnel there who are totally overwhelmed? we are currently if discussions with Quebec and the other provinces to see how we can provide them with more resources. As I said, we received two specific requests from Quebec to send in the c. a.f. To nunavik and the lower north shore and work with the province answer respond to any request that is made with respect to anything. We are there to help and work with the provinces as they see fit.

Prime Minister Trudeau:

There have been two requests so far by request ebb to send in support from the Canadian armed forces in both nunavik in northern Quebec and the shoreline. As any more requests come in, we’ll look to support Quebec or other provinces asking for help from the federal government regardless of what that help looks like and what they’re asking us. We will be there to help out as provinces need help.

Reporter:

Interpreter:

You’re saying we have to continue to do what we’re doing to stop the pandemic. But right now we’re trying to stop the spread. But until there is collective immunization or a vaccine, and it will take a long time before we get a vaccine, are there scenarios your government is looking at in terms of collective immunization and this would be for certain sectors to be able to start up and perhaps protect certain groups? well, our priority is to avoid seeing our health care system overwhelmed. and a mortality rate going from 2% to 3% to 10% as we saw in other countries. That is absolutely what we want to avoid. So, yes. We are slowing the spread of the virus and we’re also developing methods and technical capacities in terms of testing and the ability to do quick contact tracing so that we know who may have been infected at one point or another. and we are developing these tools in order to be extremely vigilant. Once we’ve come through this first wave of COVID-19. So that we can perhaps relax some of the restrictions on citizens and on the economy. But at the same time, we know that as long as there is no vaccine, we will have to continue to be extremely vigilant and to respond very quickly. If there is a resurgence of COVID-19. and if – and it is all of those reflections that are ongoing at this point. As I said, we will need to remain in this sphere of severe restrictions in order to have that ability and the able to look at the next steps.

Prime Minister Trudeau:

We know that, until there is a vaccine for COVID-19, we are going to have to remain extremely vigilant as a world, as a country, to resurgences, even once this first wave is through. We will be able to look very carefully at how, with extraordinary vigilance and very rapid response times to any future resurgences of the virus, we can carefully reengage in certain sectors of our economy in loosening up the restrictions. We are not there yet. We have to be through this first wave sufficiently to be able to know that we have the capacity to stamp out and restrict any future outbreaks as they come along. That means technology, that means better testing capacity and continued vigilance, not just by governments but by all Canadians to preventing it. We’re still a number of – a number of weeks away from that. But we are reflecting on what that looks like and what sort of technology and medical solutions will be necessary. We will get through this together. For now, we need to stay strong in our social distancing measures afternoon by staying at home. Merci.beaucoup.