Canada’s health minister acknowledges the majority of Canadians want life to return to normal, but remain concerned about COVID-19.
Patty Hajdu says science backs up this pandemic, in the face of growing protests in the United States of people wanting life to return to normal.
“You can’t wish a virus away, you can’t politic a virus away, the virus is the virus and it’s there regardless of whether or not people believe it’s there. That’s the amazing thing about science and nature, right? It doesn’t matter what you believe, it doesn’t matter what your opinion is,” said Hajdu.
Hajdu adds she is very pleased with how well government and health officials have worked together.
The health minister said there are only certain areas in which you will see the federal government impose mandatory wearing of masks in the fight against COVID-19.
Hajdu said that includes a plane ride where physical distancing could be difficult, but that is the extent of it.
“We don’t have, at the federal level, the jurisdictional firepower to make masks mandatory, for example, to ride on a city bus, nor do we think we should. Quite frankly, there are other things that could be more effective that would be less, I suppose intrusive,” she said.
Hajdu is also reminding Canadians to re-apply for federal assistance to make it through the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said there is a reason the simple proceedure has been designed so people who have received money need to go back to the website.
“I mean we set it up that way because people’s employment situations are fluid, right? You might be laid off for two weeks, you might be going back to work, we just didn’t want to have people accumulate too much money that they might have to pay back later,” said Hajdu.
Hajdu adds Ottawa continues to talk with city governments about what help may be needed at the municipal level.
With files from Geoff Waterfield.
