The government is mulling potential financial help to ease the burden of the novel coronavirus on businesses and individuals after its first cabinet committee meeting on the subject, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday.
B次元官网网址淲e are very mindful that an economic impact is certainly being felt in the global economy and is beginning to be felt in Canada, and thatB次元官网网址檚 one of the things we need to turn our attention to,B次元官网网址� Freeland, the committee chair, told reporters in Ottawa.
B次元官网网址淪o I would just say about that, watch this space.B次元官网网址�
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the newly formed committee Wednesday morning, and it met for the first time later that afternoon.
The cabinet committee for COVID-19, which is the respiratory disease linked to the strain of novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, will complement the work being done by the governmentB次元官网网址檚 incident response group.
The cabinet committee will continue to monitor the health impacts of the virus to make sure the government response takes all possible measures to prevent and limit the spread in Canada, Trudeau said in a written release Wednesday.
Trudeau also told reporters the committee will be keeping an eye on the economic impacts of the virus.
B次元官网网址淲e need to make sure that people make the right decisions. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why we put forward a committee that will be responsible for ensuring that Canadians have the right frame to make the good decisions for their families, for their communities,B次元官网网址� Trudeau said in St-Jerome, Que.
B次元官网网址淲e need to keep alert, but we need to keep moving forward in a way that keeps Canadians safe and keeps our economy rolling.B次元官网网址�
The risk of community transmission of the virus is still considered low in Canada, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Trudeau said the government has been watching the global impact of the virus on the economy closely.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e seeing that in terms of tourism thereB次元官网网址檚 an impact, thereB次元官网网址檚 an impact on investment, on the airline industry, on the auto industry as well. WeB次元官网网址檙e seeing a slow down,B次元官网网址� he said.
He pointed to supply-chain disruptions in China affecting Canadian businesses too.
B次元官网网址淭here will be an impact and weB次元官网网址檙e there to try to find solutions together with companies and communities.B次元官网网址�
Freeland said there may also be micro-economic impacts on individuals who may have to say home because they are sick, or even be quarantined.
B次元官网网址淲e will be ready to act when itB次元官网网址檚 necessary,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淲e are monitoring the outbreak and we remain ready to deploy fiscal measures as appropriate.B次元官网网址�
The committee will include several other cabinet ministers and Kirsty Duncan, deputy government House leader.
Duncan is a medical geographer who studied pandemics before she entered politics B次元官网网址� including writing a book on the 1918 Spanish flu.
Freeland emphasized that the entire country needs to be involved in the response to the virus.
Hajdu said employers can also play a large part by making it easier for people to work from home or stay away if they are unwell.
And everyone can do their part by washing their hands and staying away from others if they are sick, she said.
Canada now has 35 cases of the new coronavirus, most of them in Ontario.
But globally, the number of countries detecting new cases has been increasing every day. There are now at least 93, 090 confirmed cases in 76 countries, including more than 3,000 deaths, according to the latest numbers from the World Health Organization.
Laura Osman, The Canadian Press
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