November 27, 2020 | News

November 27, 2020 – Federal government update on the COVID-19 pandemic

Here is an update on recent decisions and actions by the Canadian government in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of the population vaccinated by September

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expects that most Canadians will be vaccinated against COVID-19 by next September.

Since May, the government has undertaken a process to prepare for mass vaccination of the population and has secured supplies of 12 vaccines from seven companies.

The Canadian government’s priority is to ensure that the vaccines administered will be safe and effective. “We have experts and scientists who are analyzing the data to make sure of this,” said Mr. Trudeau.

Major-General Dany Fortin of the Canadian Armed Forces will be responsible for organizing the vaccination campaign to ensure the planning, storage and distribution of vaccine doses across the country.

Prime Minister Trudeau explained that the government has acquired 126 special freezers to store the vaccine doses manufactured by Pfizer and BioNTech, which must be kept at very low temperatures (-80 degrees Celsius).

The most difficult days of the pandemic

Prime Minister Trudeau, isolated in his official residence in order to limit his contacts, reiterated that the country is recording record numbers of cases of COVID-19 and that Canadians are “in the most difficult days of the pandemic.”

After having repeated that several provinces are currently recording a major surge in the spread of the virus and that restrictions and health measures have been tightened in many provinces, the prime minister called on Canadians to “pull together.”

“The Christmas period will be difficult, but this is not a permanent situation. There is a light (the vaccines) at the end of the tunnel, but in the meantime, we must bear up a little longer. Those working in hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools and grocery stores need our help to ensure their safety,” said Mr. Trudeau, calling on the population to respect the health guidelines.

Calling on youth

The prime minister encouraged youth to download the free COVID Alert app and to assist their parents and grandparents in doing so in order to help with the contact tracing of those infected with COVID-19.