Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, Speaking to Kids About the COVID19 Virus; Statement About Small Businesses
As a father himself, Trudeau says he understands the challenges of daily life for kids
It’s pretty much impossible to get through a whole day without hearing the word coronavirus.
COVID-19 has changed the way we live our lives.
And the situation keeps changing.
That’s why the prime minister of Canada took some time this weekend to talk to Canadian kids about the things that are on their minds.
How this came together
Leaders in Canada and around the world are speaking directly to kids, since the pandemic is affecting their every day lives.
Last week, CBC Kids News and Radio-Canada’s MAJ asked kids to send in their questions so we could bring them to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer.
We were thrilled to receive more than 4,000 submissions and chose 10 questions, which we sent to the prime minister before recording an interview with him.
Check out the video here to see what he said, or keep reading for some highlights
When will school start again?
Trudeau himself is the father of three kids, so he says he understands the reality of school closures and cancelled activities.
“When we were all off around spring break, they were all like, ‘Yay! No school!’” Trudeau said about his own kids, Xavier, 12, Ella-Grace, 11, and Hadrien, 6.
“But now they’re realizing they want to see their friends,” he said. “Maybe being at school isn’t so bad when compared to having to sit at the kitchen table and do all your work on your own with your parents sometimes helping.”
Trudeau said he doesn’t know when schools will open again, but emphasized that physical distancing is important to keep the coronavirus from spreading so they can reopen as soon as possible.
“It’s going to take a while still,” he said.
What are you doing to help homeless people?
Because people are being told to stay home, some kids have been wondering what people who don’t have homes should do.
Trudeau outlined some of the things his government is doing to help people who are less fortunate.
“One of the things we’ve done is given a lot of money to homeless shelters,” Trudeau said, “to try and make sure that they have room for people who need a home.”
The government is also helping homeless people practise physical distancing by opening more shelters, so they don’t come into contact with others and spread the virus.
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