Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives for his daily news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic outside his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
After photos of Toronto park this weekend showed people packed together with little regard for physical distancing, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians have a responsibility to follow public health rules to slow the spread of COVID-19.
He says any reopening of public spaces and restoration of economic activity will have to happen gradually and carefully, with each community tailoring restrictions to local circumstances.
PM Trudeau avoids responding to a few questions directly
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau avoided responding directly to questions about why the Liberal party is using a federal wage subsidy program for organizations struggling to pay workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Liberals, Conservatives, NDP and the Greens all applied for the 75 per cent wage subsidy, with the New Democrats and Greens still waiting for approval.
Without saying why his party needed the financial support, Trudeau says the point of the program is to keep employers connected to their places of work and to ensure the economy is ready to restart.