Trudeau remaining in isolation longer despite wife recovering from COVID-19
3 hrs ago
© Provided by The Canadian Press
OTTAWA
— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he will remain in isolation
at his home for almost two more weeks even though his wife recently
announced she has recovered from COVID-19.
Trudeau
says the couple took steps to remain apart, but staying at home for
another two weeks is prudent because he was sharing a roof
with someone who was ill.
"I
have to continue in isolation in order to be sure that we're
following all the protocols and the recommendations by Health
Canada," he said at his daily briefing to the nation in front
of Rideau Cottage.
Sophie
Gregoire Trudeau issued a thank you to Canadians for their support
Saturday in a Facebook video announcing she had been given the
"all-clear" from both her doctor and Ottawa Public
Health.
"I
have a clear bill of health by medical professionals," she
said.
Gregoire
Trudeau tested positive on March 13 after returning from a trip to
England.
Trudeau
says his wife has now taken their three kids to the prime
minister's cottage residence in Quebec while he remains at their
Ottawa home.
Trudeau
was the first major world leader to go into isolation because of
COVID-19, and his role as both the head of a G7 nation and the only
parent at home able to care for the couple's three children
garnered him headlines around the world.
He
has shown no symptoms himself and neither have their kids, Xavier,
12, Ella-Grace, 11 and Hadrien, 6.
Over
the last two weeks Trudeau has overseen the launch of more than
$100 billion in aid for Canadian families and businesses in an
unprecedented nationwide economic slowdown prompted by public
health demands that Canadians stay home to slow the spread of the
novel coronavirus.
On
Sunday Trudeau appeared to be turning the government's attention
more specifically to the most vulnerable in Canada, designating
$7.5 million for Kids Help Phone and $9 million for United Way
Canada to assist seniors.
He
said more aid for Canada's charitable sector is coming but also
urges those Canadians who can to donate to charities or offer to
volunteer right now.
Canada's
chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Sunday the
most up to date national numbers show 5,866 positive cases of
COVID-19, and 63 deaths. She said about three per cent of Canadians
who have been tested for the illness actually have it, but warned
not to get complacent because the test results lag behind the
actual spread of the illness.
Tam
said she is cautiously optimistic about signs in British Columbia
that the spread of the disease has slowed, but said the next seven
days will be critical for getting a true understanding of what kind
of impact social distancing is having on Canada's case load.
This
report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2020.
Mia
Rabson, The Canadian Press
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