Canada has been addressing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) “better” than their allies, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed on Wednesday.
According to media reports, Trudeau told reporters that Canada was able to “better control” COVID-19 compared to their allies, particularly their neighboring countries, allowing them to reopen their economy.
Trudeau said the efforts of Canadians to follow safety precautions resulted in a decline in the number of confirmed cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in Canada. Although they achieved a good result, Trudeau said Canadians should still be very careful because “things can change quickly.”
“As we continue to gradually reopen the economy, we have to remain vigilant. We have to keep following public health advice,” he said.
The Prime Minister issued this statement as it was reported that the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States (U.S.) surpassed three million, with more than 131,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S., on Tuesday, recorded more than 60,000 new cases, breaking its previous single-day record of more than 55,000 cases.
Meanwhile, Canada has more than 106,000 coronavirus cases, with more than 8,700 coronavirus-related deaths.
Canada and the U.S. earlier agreed not to reopen their border yet for non-essential travel until July 21. Based on the survey from Nanos Research conducted for The Globe and Mail, 81 percent of Canadians said the Canada-U.S border should remain closed for non-essential travel, while 14 percent of them want it to be opened but only in areas with low coronavirus infection rate. On the other hand, three percent said the border should be opened “immediately,” while the other two percent said they are unsure.
The two countries first announced the border closure in March. They have been extending the border restrictions for non-essential travellers in an effort to flatten the coronavirus curve.
“This is an important decision that will keep people in both of our countries safe,” Trudeau earlier said.
[READ: Canada, U.S. keep border closed until July 21, Trudeau says]