Canada is in second wave of pandemic, Trudeau urges renewed caution

Canada has entered a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, warning that the country was on the brink of a surge if people did not follow public health guidelines.

In a rare national address, Trudeau said the country “is at a crossroads” as a second wave emerges in four large provinces, adding that the government would do whatever it took to help the country recover from the pandemic.

“We’re on the brink of a fall that could be much worse than the spring,” he said.

Canada’s COVID-19 cases have spiked in recent days, with an average of 1,123 new cases reported daily over the past week, compared with a daily average of 380 cases in mid-August.

“We have the power to get this second wave under control. I know we can do it, because we’ve already done it once before,” Trudeau added.

Canadians are now more worried about COVID-19 than they have been since April, an Abacus Data poll showed.

Earlier, the government made the commitments in the so-called Speech from the Throne, which lays out its agenda for the next parliamentary session, and promised to recover more than a million jobs lost during the crisis.

Total infections reached 147,753, while 9,243 people have died, according to latest government data.

“This is not the time for austerity,” the government said in the speech. “Canada entered this crisis in the best fiscal position of its peers.”

The range of promises and mentions of significant investments could upset markets showing signs of nervousness about soaring budget deficits and debt. Canada lost one of its coveted triple-A ratings in June when Fitch downgraded it for the first time, citing the spending.