‘Things moving in right direction but fight not over’: Justin Trudeau on Canada’s Covid-19 battle

Canada is moving in the right direction as far as combatting the Covid-19 pandemic is concerned, but the fight is not yet over, the country’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has warned. His statement came as health authorities released new projections that indicate that coronavirus infections are sharply tapering off.

“After a very challenging spring, things are continuing to move in the right direction,” Trudeau said during a daily media briefing. However, that came with the proviso that Canadians continue to “follow local public health guidelines to keep each other safe.” Canada is gradually opening up and there is some concern that could contribute to the disease bouncing back.

Among those who have voiced that worry is Canada’s chief public health officer Dr Theresa Tam. She said they “expect to see some resurgence of cases” as restrictive measures were lifted across the nation.

She expanded on that warning, as she said, “Dynamic models are telling us that if we relax too much or too soon the epidemic will most likely rebound with explosive growth as a distinct possibility.”

Latest modelling was also released and it indicates that Canada will record between 1,04,000 and 1,08,000 cases by July 12, with deaths ranging between 8,545 and 8,865. On Monday, the total fatalities due to Covid-19 was at 8,566, and overall cases at 1,03,799.

Among the matters being taken into consideration is the increase in cases in the United States after lockdowns were lifted in several states. Trudeau said that “highlights” to Canadian authorities that “even as our economy is re-opening, we need to make sure we are continuing to remain vigilant, individually and collectively.”

Tam underscored that the coronavirus had yet to be eliminated and no effective vaccine was available. “The epidemiology indicates that transmission is largely under control, while also showing us that cases can reemerge at any time or place,” she said.

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