Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday urged his compatriots to avoid non-essential travel abroad, presenting several measures to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Ottawa also made C$10 billion (about US$7.2 billion) in credit available to businesses to help them weather the current situation and also announced a 0.5 percentage point cut in the central bank's rate to 0.75%.
Next week, he will announce new “fiscal stimulus measures” for businesses to “protect Canadians in these difficult times,” according to Finance Minister Bill Morneau.
The government “recommends that Canadians avoid non-essential travel abroad,” said the head of government, in isolation since Thursday after his wife, Sophie Grégoire, tested positive for the coronavirus.
Trudeau, who held a press conference outside his official residence in Ottawa, also announced the suspension of the arrival of foreign cruise ships in Canada until July.
“We will study how to better screen international passengers arriving in Canada,” added the Prime Minister.
The number of airports that receive international flights “from overseas” will be reduced, he said, a term that appears to exempt flights from the United States from the measure.
The president also announced that the government would announce a “significant fiscal stimulus” in the coming days to help the Canadian economy resist the stagnation caused by the spread of the pandemic.
Canada has recorded more than 150 cases of coronavirus, including one death, since the outbreak began in China in December.
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