Trudeau: “New projections are suggesting that the province (ON) could be on track for up to 6,500 cases a day by mid-December.
We have to reverse these trends now.”

Trudeau re 21st call w/ premiers last night “We all benefitted from hearing about the difficult choices different provinces are making.”
But he says he told them resources are not unlimited. (At odds with the ‘whatever it takes for as long as it takes’ message to now?)

Here is @starbeer with a look at today’s news. https://www.thestar.com/business/2020/11/12/feds-pass-614-million-to-ontario-to-help-less-fortunate-workers-find-new-direction.html

Trudeau: “Obv our hearts go out to family” of 12yo shooting victim, again promises legislation to strengthen gun control, says they’ve acted to ban assault weapons. Doesn’t address why not flowing or municipal handgun bans not in effect.

Trudeau repeats he had a good convo w/ premiers but does not say that he specifically raised w @fordnation the @TorontoStar story that province ignored its own health experts advice.

Asked the context for what he meant by telling premiers resources are not infinite, Trudeau says he meant extra fed support through Red Cross, army, PPE, people to do contact tracing—could lead to tough choices about where to direct support. “We’re not at that point now.”

Trudeau is asked whether feds will expand fed funding for health care as QC appears to be banking on, references what they’ve done to date to support provinces, individuals, biz; says he looks forward to talking to provs at mtg on h/c transfers, sometime in first 10 days in Dec.

Trudeau on provincial demands, says feds gave $.5b in spring, then $19b + $2b since summer for safe restarts. Plus more for individual supports.

Trudeau, asked about CSIS concerns re Op Fox Hunt reach into Canada, says for years we have seen pressure tactics on local ethnic media, on different diaspora communities, & says “we have taken action in past years.” But says recent shift from China n more coercive diplomacy...

Trudeau says that’s esp visible in case of China’s arbitrary detention of two Michaels, Kovrig & Spavor. Says Cda w continue to work w allies to push back, says those tactics won’t work.

Trudeau: whether or not Cdns can gather together for the holidays “depends entirely on each of us doing what we need to do.”
(He does not come out and say that big gatherings are off, as @CPHO_Canada said last week, or was it two weeks ago? It’s all a blur.)

Trudeau: “We need to hang in there a number more months.” He adds what we do in days to come “will determine what we get to do” at Christmas.(Again, a lot of infectious disease experts now think that’s already clear.)

On when the rent assistance will come, Trudeau says soon, and it will be retroactive to Oct.1. Urged premiers to pressure senators from their regions to pass the other bill, wage subsidy extension, quickly.

Trudeau pushes back at suggestions feds need to step in, says in a federation, “federal Govt not higher than or more important than the provinces,” that fed Govt w continue to support provinces as they deal w/ health and that’s where people need to direct those q’s.

Tam says decision making levels in various provinces is “very complex,” that chief med officers of health have issued their clear advice, winter will be most concerning period.
“Fires are burning in so many different areas” outside the Atlantic bubble.

She says people have to act quickly to follow the guidelines/masking,distancing, hand washing.

Tam defends the advice to use paper towels as a third layer although a QC study suggests it’s useless. Tam says there are other studies that show it’s an accessible available option.

I asked Tam what her advice to the PM was to allow him to say Xmas could still see gatherings, she says it’s “very unlikely” given projections Cda could have 10k new cases a day in early December. Says Thanksgiving/Halloween saw gatherings, in some provs accelerated infxns.

Tam, asked about ultra-freeze capacity, says Pfizer will have some obligations to deliver frozen doses, but says other details re distribution/transport being worked on right now.
ICYMI, I wrote on this the other day: https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2020/11/10/with-a-covid-19-vaccine-on-the-horizon-ottawas-next-challenge-will-be-getting-it-to-38-million-canadians.html

Tam says if the projections hold for certain regions, the health system will not be able to hold up under the strain.

Njoo says they see ICUs becoming full already, and we need to stop chains of transmission now.