Hello everyone.

Today at sundown marks the beginning of Ramadan.

For many Muslim Canadians, the coming month will be different than normal, with iftar online and virtual Friday prayers.

But that won’t change what this special time is all about – generosity, compassion, and service to others. 

Across the country, Muslim Canadians are on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 as nurses, doctors, and essential workers.

So thank you, and Ramadan Mubarak.

Today, Muslim Canadians will mark the beginning of Ramadan.

The coming month will not be the same as normal.

But the values of compassion and generosity that are central to this tradition are more important than ever.

All across the country, Muslim Canadians are on the front lines, fighting COVID-19 as doctors, nurses, and essential workers.

Thank you, and Ramadan Mubarak.

This will be another difficult day for many families and communities across the country.

We’re all thinking about those in Nova Scotia who are grieving the loss of loved ones, friends, and neighbours.

Yesterday, I spoke with the families of some of the people we lost.

They shared stories about their loved ones, and their dreams and plans.

In the face of such tragedy, their strength is remarkable.

I spoke also with RCMP members from the area and on behalf of all Canadians, I thanked them for their service.

And I spoke to some local mayors as well to express my condolences.

For Torontonians, I know it’ll be a hard day as well, as we remember the victims of the van attack on Yonge Street two years ago.

Together we mourn, and together we heal.

Because just as Canadians were there for each other two years ago, we’re there for each other today.

Across the country, people are hanging tartan, blue ribbons, and scarves from windows to honour those who died.

With acts of kindness and donations, people are standing with families who are grieving.

And tomorrow, with the virtual vigil, we will all have the chance to show the people of Nova Scotia that they are not alone. 

Today will be another difficult day for the people of Nova Scotia.

In the face of such a tragedy, they are showing incredible strength.

And the people of Toronto are also having a difficult day.

Today, we remember the victims of the attack on Yonge Street two years ago.

We are grieving together and we will heal these wounds together.

These are tough times, but there is reason to hope. 

When it comes to COVID-19, what we’re doing is working.

And to continue on the right track, we need to be thinking not just about the next weeks, but about the next months.

We need medium-term and long-term solutions. 

On that front, I can announce today that we’re taking another step forward.

We’re putting in place an additional $1.1 billion for a national medical and research strategy to address COVID-19.

This plan has three pillars: research on vaccines and other treatments, supports for clinical trials, and expanding national testing and modelling.

Let me start with the first pillar on research.

Under this plan, we are investing close to $115 million for research into vaccines and treatments being developed in hospitals and universities across the country.

This is on top of the funding we’ve already provided to support vaccine development in Canada.

The second pillar of the plan is to make sure that once we have potential vaccines and treatments, we can test a wide range of options.

Under this plan, we will invest over $662 million for clinical trials led by Canada.

A vaccine is the long-term solution to this virus.

But these drugs will take months to develop, test, fabricate, and roll out.

So until we have something ready, we need to control the spread of the virus.

And that’s where the third pillar of this plan comes in.

We’re investing $350 million to expand national testing and modelling of COVID-19.

This includes creating the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force.

The task force will operate under the direction of a leadership group, which will include Dr. David Naylor, Dr. Catherine Hankins, Dr. Tim Evans, Dr. Theresa Tam, and Dr. Mona Nemer.

We are bringing together top health experts and scientists from leading institutions across the country.

Canada’s best and brightest will be working on serology testing – blood testing – to track and understand immunity to COVID-19.

They’ll be looking at key questions like how many people beyond those we’ve already tested have had COVID-19, whether you’re immune once you’ve had it, and if so, how long that lasts.

Over two years, we will be testing at least a million Canadians as a part of this study.

The findings of the research will help with everything from rollouts of a potential vaccine, to determining which public health measures are most effective going forward.

We will get valuable data, including disaggregated data, to understand the impact on vulnerable populations.

And we will also leverage new and existing lab capacity for research.

The better we understand this virus, its spread, and its impact on different people, the better we can fight it, and eventually defeat it.

While this vital research is happening, we’re also staying focused on what we can do right now to control COVID-19 and get back to normal as soon as possible.

Testing is key.

We’ve now reached 20,000 tests daily, almost double where we were earlier this month.

But testing must increase even further before we can re-open and re-start our normal activities as a country.

You’ve been doing your part by staying home and practising physical distancing.

It’s working.

And we can’t afford to waste this progress.

Today, I am announcing that we are creating a $1.1-billion medical and research strategy to fight COVID‑19.

The first pillar of this strategy will focus on vaccines and treatments.

We are investing nearly $155 million for vaccine research in hospitals and universities across the country.

This is in addition to the funding that we have already allocated to develop vaccines here in Canada.

The second pillar will be making sure that, once we have potential vaccines and treatments, we will be able to test several possible usage options.

We will therefore be investing over $662 million in clinical trials.

And the third pillar is investing in testing to model the virus.

We are currently creating the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force.

This working group will be led by Dr. David Naylor, Dr. Catherine Hankins, and Dr. Tim Evans, with the support of Dr. Tam and Dr. Nemer.

They will coordinate blood tests that will help us to track the virus and to better understand how we can become immune to COVID-19.   

The research findings will help us in a number of ways, including making a vaccine available and identifying which public health measures are the most effective and should be adopted.

While this vital research is taking place, we will continue to consider what we can do, right now, to contain COVID-19 and return things to normal as quickly as possible.

Testing is the most important thing.

We have reached about 20,000 tests daily across the country.

But we must continue to increase our testing capacity before life can get back to normal. 

Right now, we’re seeing terrible tragedies in long-term care facilities across the country.

This is unacceptable.

If you’re angry, frustrated, scared – you are right to feel this way.

We can do better.

We need to do better.

Because we are failing our parents, our grandparents, our elders – the greatest generation who built this country.

We need to care for them properly.

Canadians need to pull together.

There have been requests for military assistance by both Ontario and Quebec, which of course we will be answering.

Our women and men in uniform will step up with the valour and courage they have always shown.

In the short term, we will be there with support so that provinces can get control of the situation.

But this is not a long-term solution.

In Canada, we shouldn’t have soldiers taking care of seniors.

Going forward, in the weeks and months to come, we will all have to ask tough questions about how it came to this.

We will all have to do more to get through this terrible situation.

Right now, we’re seeing terrible tragedies in long-term care facilities all across the country. 

This is unacceptable.

You have every right to feel angry, frustrated, and worried.

We must do better.

Because we are failing our parents, our grandparents, and our seniors.

The members of the Greatest Generation, who built our country. 

We need to care for them in the way they deserve to be cared for.

Quebec and Ontario have requested military assistance—we will of course be answering those requests.

Members of our armed forces will provide support as they always do.

But this is not a long-term solution.

In Canada, it shouldn’t be soldiers taking care of our seniors.

Over the coming weeks and months, we will have to examine how it came to this.

We will all have to do more to get through this absolutely horrible situation.

Everyone is working hard to get through this.

We are all part of the same team.

As we do our part, I know that everyone will be doing their part.

We will get through this together, and we will come back strong together.

Thank you.