Canada Says Partial Return to Work by Summer Possible at Best

Canada may be able to loosen lockdowns and have some sectors return to work by the summer if the nation abides by the tight restrictions currently in place, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

The country is currently in the “first and worst phase” of the coronavirus, and modeling shows that in a best-case scenario it could emerge relatively quickly if people observe social distancing so as to minimize the burden on the health system, Trudeau said at a press conference in Ottawa Friday.

“That is the ideal scenario but it only happens if we continue to stay strong for the coming weeks,” he said. By that point, Canada will have better testing protocols and new technologies to trace outbreaks allowing it to respond to any resurgences more capably, he said.

On Friday, Canada’s national police service said it will begin conducting spot checks to verify that people under mandatory quarantine, including travelers who’ve entered from abroad, are staying in their homes, according to a statement. Under Canada’s Quarantine Act, those who violate such orders can face a maximum fine of C$750,000 ($536,941) and six months imprisonment.

Canada has tested more people than in the U.S. despite having about one-tenth the population and is continue to ramp up its testing capacity, Trudeau said. In a separate briefing Friday, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said that the nation has tested over 380,000 people and 5% have tested positive.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-10/trudeau-says-partial-return-to-work-by-summer-possible-in-canada?srnd=politics-vp