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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Speaks With Premiers on Continued Efforts to Address the Impacts of COVID-19

On May 28th, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland held their eleventh First Ministers’ call with the premiers about the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics of conversation included continued collaborative efforts by federal, provincial, and territorial partners to combat the pandemic and protect the well-being of all Canadians in the future. The call also discussed the recent reports on long-term care facilities in Ontario and Quebec, and measures were agreed to improve care for seniors.

Per the Government of Canada’s website:

The Prime Minister updated premiers on the federal government’s ongoing work to procure critical personal protective equipment, and successful efforts to ramp-up the made-in-Canada supply. He also discussed how the federal government is working with each jurisdiction, including on border measures and a collaborative national approach to testing and contact tracing.

The Prime Minister spoke to premiers about his commitment to ensure every worker has access to ten days of paid sick leave a year, and asked premiers about how the federal government could further assist them to reopen their economies. First Ministers agreed that reopening the economy is a complex and difficult process, and that having the appropriate supports in place to protect the health and safety of all Canadians is critical.

All First Ministers reiterated the importance of a Team Canada effort in addressing the challenges of COVID-19. The Government of Canada is taking a whole-of-government, comprehensive, and coordinated approach to respond to COVID-19.

World Leaders Discuss how to Sharpen the Global Response to COVID-19

On May 28th, 2020, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, and the Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness, gathered with world leaders to sharpen and accelerate the global response to COVID-19. The gathering was focused on establishing large-scale and coordinated initiatives to support countries in need during this time, with emphasis on enabling more prosperous and inclusive economies post COVID-19.

A result of the meeting was establishing six critical areas of focus. Per the Government of Canada’s website:

This Event will also launch a collaborative effort to enable discussions on concrete proposals to overcome challenges in six areas, and progress will be reported back at the margins of the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) in July, the General Assembly in September, and at the end of the year that include:

  1. The need to expand liquidity in the global economy and maintain financial stability to safeguard development gains.
  2. The need to address debt vulnerabilities for all developing countries to save lives and livelihoods for billions of people around the world.
  3. The need to create a space in which private sector creditors can proactively engage in effective and timely solutions.
  4. Prerequisites for enhancing external finance and remittances for inclusive growth and creating jobs.
  5. Measures to expand fiscal space and foster domestic resource mobilization by preventing illicit financial flows.
  6. Ensuring a sustainable and inclusive recovery by aligning recovery policies with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The outcomes of the High-Level Event include the formation of six discussions groups, a collaborative effort that aims at providing concrete proposals by mid-July.

Remember…

While the coronavirus continues to spread quickly, it is important to remember that only a small percentage of patients need special treatment to recover. Trusted health experts continue to emphasize that the general population shouldn’t panic and should instead focus on practicing proper hygiene, such as hand-washing and refraining from touching the facial area.

Stay up to date on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by visiting the World Health Organization and the Government of Canada website.

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