Justin Trudeau says US-Canadian border closures are expected to begin at the end of the week.
Speaking from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Thursday, Trudeau explained the measures will be in place very soon.”We are continuing to work on the fine tuning of the agreement between Canada and the United States, I think it’s almost there, my understanding is the measures will probably come into place in the night between Friday and Saturday. So about a day and a half”
For Canadians across seas Trudeau spoke on measures being taken to get them home, adding he has been in talks with airlines to facilitate more flights to get Canadians home and saying a text message has been sent to all Canadians overseas with how they can get in touch with consulate services.
Here at home Trudeau says help for Canadians will be flowing in the coming weeks to support small businesses, retirees, indigenous peoples and the most vulnerable Canadians.
When it comes to small businesses that are struggling, Trudeau says the government has made credit a lot easier to access for businesses of all size.
“To ensure there are loans there is bridging financing available for businesses large and small. We’ve also taken specific measures on payroll support for small businesses, that will be available in the near future.” He says with new programs being introduced into government he will be working with public services so that all efforts can go to supporting Canadians through this difficult time.
Trudeau also says the Canadian military may be called in to help with the crisis, after the U.S military was called in to help with the production of personal protective equipment.
