Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that Canada is contributing $850 million to help in the global fight against COVID-19.
Speaking outside his home in Ottawa, he said the money would go to researching a vaccine and to helping developing countries handle the pandemic.
The research, he said, would be done in both Canada and around the world.
Money will also go to the World Health Organization (WHO).
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The European Union organized a pledge conference in an effort to fill the WHO’s funding gaps.
The goal is to raise $11.5 billion for vaccine and treatment options for COVID-19 and make them available and affordable worldwide.
Trudeau also urged Canadians to mark the liberation of the Netherlands at 11 am PST today with two minutes’ silence.
He added, though, that it was important not to go outside unless necessary.
“I know the weather’s getting nicer, but we still need to be extremely careful,” he said.
He also said when the crisis is over he will order an audit of the government’s response.
Trudeau said the government will try to set up a plan to be better prepared for the next global pandemic, if one should take place.
He said for now the government remains focused on getting through this time.
Trudeau added that the government is being transparent about the billions of dollars being spent to get Canada through the pandemic.
But he said the government has not yet been able to figure out how to bring in a federal budget because there is so much uncertainty in the weeks and months to come.
He said a budget is usually a forecast of what is to come but without more certainty, a budget or fiscal update is still a work in progress.
