Justin Trudeau Says Wife Sophie's 'Symptoms Remain Mild' After Testing Positive for Coronavirus
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is speaking out a day his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
In a press conference on Friday, the politician, 48, updated the public on Grégoire Trudeau’s health following her diagnosis.
“Sophie’s symptoms remain mild, but we are following medical advice and taking every precaution. She will remain in isolation for the time being,” he said. “We are thinking about all the families across the country who’ve received the same diagnosis, but we’re in good hands. We have full confidence in Canada’s health officials and professionals.”
Trudeau went on to reiterate that he will also “remain in self-isolation for 14 days“ as a precautionary measure.
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“I want to be clear I have no symptoms and I’m feeling good. And technology allows me to work from home,” he said. “Of course, it’s an inconvenience and somewhat frustrating. We are all social beings after all. But we have to do this because we have to protect our neighbours and our friends, especially our more vulnerable seniors and people with pre-existing conditions. We are following medical advice, as should all Canadians.”
He continued, “On that note, I want to thank all of Canada’s health professionals and the public health agency, who are doing an incredible job supporting and looking after all of us.”
In his speech, Trudeau said that the government is taking “significant steps” to keep Canadians safe and secure during the ongoing pandemic.
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“Addressing COVID-19 must be a team Canada effort. To keep Canadians safe, to mitigate the economic impacts of the virus, all levels of government are working together. We are talking regularly. We are co-ordinating our efforts. We’re following the situation very closely and we’re pulling out all the stops,” he said.
“I know that you’re worried. You’re worried about your health, about your family’s health, about your job, your savings, about paying rent, about the kids not being in school. I know that you’re concerned about uncertainty in the global economy,” he added. “No one should have to worry about paying rent, buying groceries or additional child care because of COVID-19. We will help Canadians financially. The government of Canada will be introducing a significant fiscal stimulus package in the days ahead.”
As of Friday, Canada currently has more than 100 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and one death had been reported in British Columbia.
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In the United States, there have been at least 2,110 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 48 reported deaths as of March 13. Several states have declared a state of emergency to redirect funding, and public schools in Ohio, Maryland, New Mexico, Michigan, Oregon and the District of Columbia have closed.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency — “two very big words” — in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. He said that declaration would unlock about $50 billion in funding to aid the local, state and federal response to the virus.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.
