COVID-19 restrictions will last for ‘weeks more,’ Trudeau says

OTTAWA-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is telling Canadians to brace for "weeks more" of restrictions, warning that a premature rush back to normal life risks a second, more devastating wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With public health officials voicing "cautious optimism" Wednesday that the virus may be slowing in Canada, it was left to Trudeau to dampen public impatience over the unprecedented restrictions that have shuttered businesses and kept people in their homes for weeks now.

"With spring coming, people are looking outside, wanting to get out, wanting to this to be over - I understand that. It will be weeks more before we can seriously consider loosening the restrictions," he said.

"It would terrible to release restrictions too early and find out that we're suddenly back in a big wave of COVID-19."

If that were to happen, Trudeau said, the restrictions so far "would have been for nothing."

The prime minister has previously cautioned that a return to normal life remains some way off, but Wednesday's warning was his most pointed yet, as he raised the spectre of a second wave as bad or worse than the one the country is enduring now.

"We cannot be in a rush to get things going again," he said.

Trudeau also urged Canadians to continue to abide by public health guidance on social distancing.

"As impatient as people are getting all across the country, we need to continue to hold on if what we're doing as sacrifices are going to be worth it," he said.

As of Wednesday, Canada had 27,557 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 954 deaths. Some 462,000 people have been tested, with six per cent confirmed as having the virus.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, also offered some good news. In March, when the growth rate was fastest, the number of cases doubled every three days. That has slowed to doubling every 10 days.

Still, she likened the path ahead to coming down a mountain in the darkness where haste or a misstep could lead to a "hard fall."

"I think what we're doing is working," Tam said, cautioning that Canada may not have reached its peak yet. "This is not the moment to let go."

Trudeau said the country must get through this first wave before governments will consider easing the restrictions. Even then, it's likely to happen at different rates across the country because the epidemic is at different phases in different regions.

"One size fits all will not work for a country as diverse as Canada," he said. "How that release works will vary from region to region, industry to industry."

Trudeau used his daily briefing Wednesday to announce that Ottawa will work with the provinces to temporarily boost the wages of workers at long term care facilities and nursing homes which have become a front-line in Canada's fight against COVID-19.

"As we face an unprecedented threat to public health, you are our most importance line of defence," the prime minister said in a statement aimed at those workers.

The plan is to cost-share a temporary increase to salaries of employees who are deemed "essential" in the fight against COVID-19 and who make less than $2,500 a month.

"The uncomfortable and tragic truth is that the very places that care for our elderly are the most vulnerable to COVID-19 ... we all need to do better. We all need to take leadership for the seniors who built our country," Trudeau said.

The prime minister said he would discuss the issue with premiers and territorial leaders Thursday, including how to get the wage increase in place "as quickly as possible."

The prime minister also announced that the government would expand access to its emergency income support, which pays $500 a week for 16 weeks. Now, those making $1,000 or less a month will be able to apply and those whose Employment Insurance benefits have run out. As well, seasonal workers unable to work at their usual jobs will also be able to apply.

Trudeau suggested that more help was on the way to assist post-secondary students facing the prospect of no jobs this summer, as well as businesses worried about commercial rent. "We'll have more to say to you very soon," he said.

Bruce Campion-Smith is an Ottawa-based reporter covering national politics. Follow him on Twitter: @yowflier